LAWSUITS NEWS & LEGAL INFORMATION
Apprehension Agent
Minneapolis, MN: (Nov-13-07) Denise Bechthold brought a federal whistleblower lawsuit against the state, alleging that she was treated differently because of her gender and because she reported suspected misconduct. Bechthold, 44, of Blaine, was appointed special agent for the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. Shortly after, she claimed that she was passed over for promotions because of her gender and that she was punished after reporting that some colleagues had padded their time cards. Though she received satisfactory performance evaluations and was regarded by management as a productive and skilled investigator, her suit accused the state of offering her more money to quit her job.
Bechthold's complaints with the department began in 2002 when she was assigned to the predatory offender unit over her objections. In May 2005, the department passed over Bechthold to fill two homicide investigation jobs with men she said were less qualified. In 2006, Bechthold filed several complaints about some colleagues who were allegedly padding their time sheets to make it look like they were working additional hours. She stated that she was placed on an investigatory leave of absence with pay because of unspecified allegations of her misconduct. She faced retaliation for reporting the misconduct of her peers. As part of a settlement reached, the state of Minnesota has agreed to pay nearly $73,000 to Bechtold, to resolve allegations. [STAR TRIBUNE: AGENT WHISTLEBLOWER]
Published on Nov-14-07
Bechthold's complaints with the department began in 2002 when she was assigned to the predatory offender unit over her objections. In May 2005, the department passed over Bechthold to fill two homicide investigation jobs with men she said were less qualified. In 2006, Bechthold filed several complaints about some colleagues who were allegedly padding their time sheets to make it look like they were working additional hours. She stated that she was placed on an investigatory leave of absence with pay because of unspecified allegations of her misconduct. She faced retaliation for reporting the misconduct of her peers. As part of a settlement reached, the state of Minnesota has agreed to pay nearly $73,000 to Bechtold, to resolve allegations. [
Legal Help
If you have a similar problem and would like to be contacted by a lawyer at no cost or obligation, please click the link below.Published on Nov-14-07
