BELLEVILLE – A former East St. Louis police officer is suing the city, alleging she was discriminated against on the basis of her gender and later terminated from her position after filing a complaint with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
Plaintiff Darlene D. Bonds filed the lawsuit in the St. Clair County Circuit Court against the City of East St. Louis, citing discrimination and retaliatory termination in violation of the Illinois Whistleblower Act.
According to the lawsuit, Bonds was employed by the City of East St. Louis as a lieutenant on the city police force. She claims that just because she was female, she was assigned to do demeaning jobs while lower-ranking male coworkers were assigned to the jobs that she should have done. According to Bonds, this alleged treatment caused her stress and forced her to use her personal time off to seek stress-related treatment.
Additionally, Bonds claims she reported improper registration of seized firearms to OSHA and was then terminated in retaliation.
The plaintiff is seeking more than $50,000 for damages, back pay, lost wages and benefits, interest, court costs, attorneys fees, and any other relief the court deems proper. She is represented in this case by attorney Brian M. Wendler and Angie M. Zinzilieta of Wendler & Zinzilieta, P.C. in Maryville.
St. Clair County Circuit Court case number 23LA1004