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Tampa officer sues city, alleging harassment
By BRADY DENNIS, Times Staff Writer
TAMPA -- A veteran Tampa police officer sued the city Wednesday, saying he was harassed, threatened and passed over for promotions after his police work "aroused the ire of powerful and/or politically motivated individuals." Cpl. Steve Thurman, 48, said problems arose in the early 1990s after he investigated organized crime, officials at the Tampa Housing Authority and questionable practices within the city. According to court papers, Thurman said superiors assigned him to demeaning jobs and subjected him to "unfounded" internal affairs investigations. He claimed that during a meeting with now-Assistant Chief Tina Wright in 2000, he was physically threatened, locked in her office and told he would be fired if he didn't admit improper use of his military leave. Thurman also claims in the suit that he suffered a January 2001 heart attack in part because of "severe emotional distress" created by a "hostile work environment." He was out of work for seven months, court papers stated. Thurman filed a notice of intent to sue the city in March, and he claims that he has continued to receive harassment and threats of termination. "No kidding? I hadn't heard a single word about it," police spokeswoman Katie Hughes said of the suit. Thurman was sworn in as an officer on May 1, 1981. City records show that, as of April, his annual salary was $63,814.
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