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Trial under way in police labor lawsuit

Former St. Petersburg officer Karen Lea claims she was demoted in retaliation for complaining in the past about sexual harassment.

By LEANORA MINAI

© St. Petersburg Times, published January 3, 2001

TAMPA -- Five men and two women were sworn in Tuesday as jurors in a labor lawsuit involving the St. Petersburg Police Department.

Plaintiff Karen Lea, a former officer, claims she was retaliated against for complaining in the past about sexual harassment.

Lea and a few high-ranking police supervisors are expected to testify today before visiting U.S. District Judge Ann Aldrich.

Lea's case is one of 11 separate legal actions filed in state or federal court since police Chief Goliath Davis III was appointed in 1997.

Davis sat at the defendant's table Tuesday, flanked by Tampa labor attorney Thomas M. Gonzalez and Assistant City of St. Petersburg Attorney Ernest Mueller.

Meanwhile, outside the chambers, Davis said Tuesday that he has received "a lot of inquiries, a lot of inquiries" about running for mayor of St. Petersburg.

In a switch from saying he would not enter the race, Davis said that he has not come to a decision about joining the 10 candidates. He has not discussed it with his wife, he said.

Lea's retaliation claim stems from discipline she received under Davis for making profane comments about an employee's sexual orientation. She was demoted from sergeant to officer. She said the discipline was too harsh. She sued in 1999.

Lea won a $29,000 annual service pension after doctors testified that depression and stress destroyed her career. Her situation has led to two other lawsuits and an EEOC complaint -- all by women.

Two of the seven jurors in the Lea case live in Clearwater. The others live in St. Petersburg, Largo, Riverview, Hudson and Winter Haven. They come from a variety of work fields -- construction, manufacturing, real estate, sales and the Pinellas County School Board.

The trial is expected to last six days.

- Times researcher Cathy Wos contributed to this report.