Washington County has agreed to pay a former sheriff’s deputy $950,000 to settle a whistleblower lawsuit alleging she faced retaliation for reporting that a fellow deputy ignored a homeless man’s sexual assault claim.
The county Board of Commissioners approved the settlement for Melissa Canning on its consent agenda Tuesday night.
Jose Klein, Canning’s attorney, said the substantial payment should send a clear message that “retaliation against those who report misconduct is unacceptable.”
Canning filed a complaint in March 2021 saying her patrol partner, Deputy Brett Winders, had dismissed a homeless man as “crazy” and omitted any information about the man’s alleged sexual assault in his report of the call, according to her suit.
Canning said she was then ostracized, denied promotions and became the subject of a bogus criminal investigation dubbed “salsa gate,” according to the suit.
She was accused of theft for putting a plastic cup of bean dip in a to-go box at a local restaurant during an off-duty dinner with a sergeant and his domestic partner, she said.
Canning, who is of Filipino and Native American descent, also claimed the sheriff’s office discriminated against her by unfairly investigating her while not holding white men in the office accountable for more serious misconduct.
Karen M. Vickers, Washington County’s attorney, disputed Canning’s account in court papers, saying Canning wasn’t promoted to be a detective, a field training officer or crisis negotiator...
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