NEWARK, OH (WCMH) – A former police officer is suing the City of Newark after she was fired after only months on the job.
According to court records, 25-year-old Kayla McGuire was fired for failing to complete training.
NBC4. obtained the court records and that officer’s personnel files. McGuire is making a lot of accusations against the police department, including sexual discrimination. She’s claiming that’s why she was fired. Her termination letter tells a completely different story.
Records state she was hired in June 2016, but fired in November 2016 for failing to complete training.
Documents stated multiple examples of where she showed a lack of improvement on performance evaluations and failed to act appropriately. One trainer even noting that they felt she “failed to identify danger and does not think people pose a danger to her, mostly because she knows them,”. On McGuire’s final performance evaluation review, it states that she did not cite a man for driving under the influence during a traffic stop because she said she knew him. The training officer claimed the man “smelled of alcoholic beverages and was clearly intoxicated”.
Following her termination, she’s not only suing the city but also the city’s safety director Steve Baum.
NBC4 reached out to the city’s legal and was told “no comment”.
NBC4 also went to McGuire’s home on Wilson Street, no one came to the door. However, her lawyer, Michael Conway did do an interview over the phone.
“She’s alleging sexual harassment and sexual discrimination in a labor employment setting,” said Conway.
Court documents read she said officers told her she should be working at a strip club.
She also claims in the lawsuit she’d was disciplined when she made mistakes. However, her male co-workers were not.
The court documents state she complained to her boss about not getting adequate or consistent training, and two days later she was placed on administrative leave for the purpose of getting fired.
“We attempted to work this out. Sent a letter out to talk settlement and they said no we are not going to do it. Basically, they dared us to sue them,” said Conway.
