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A longtime Seattle Police Department (SPD) lieutenant has filed a legal complaint against the City of Seattle, alleging a pattern of workplace discrimination, retaliation, and targeted harassment that left his career in shambles.

Lieutenant John O’Neil, a 20-year veteran of the SPD, claims the city and department leadership systematically undermined his career, punished him for reporting misconduct and allowed subordinates to weaponize internal complaint processes against him. He specifically criticizes the alleged conduct of other officers who have pursued their own legal complaints against the city.

The lawsuit, filed in King County Superior Court, seeks damages for alleged violations of Washington’s Law Against Discrimination, the “Silence No More Act” and the Seattle Municipal Code.

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Allegations of retaliation and career sabotage in Seattle lawsuit

According to the complaint, O’Neil was promoted to sergeant in 2019 after an impeccable record. But he says his troubles began in 2021 when he was assigned to supervise SPD’s K-9 Unit, a position meant to address deficiencies flagged by the Office of Inspector General. His efforts to implement reforms were met with fierce resistance, culminating in what he describes as a 鈥渃oordinated effort鈥� to force him out.

Tensions escalated when O鈥橬eil removed a K-9 trainer for performance issues. Shortly after, the officer’s alleged romantic partner, Officer Kame Spencer, accused O鈥橬eil of racism, alleging he replaced photos of previous (white) K-9 handlers in his office with images of his African-American family. He said SPD command swiftly reassigned O鈥橬eil to an administrative role 鈥� a punishment, he argues, for enforcing discipline.

Over the next two years, O鈥橬eil says he was subjected to multiple retaliatory complaints, all of which were eventually dismissed as baseless. The lawsuit claims his subordinates, including Spencer and Officers Valerie Carson and Jean Gulpan, engaged in insubordination and misconduct, yet faced little to no disciplinary action. Instead, O鈥橬eil was repeatedly reassigned to less desirable positions, denied opportunities for advancement, and ultimately pushed to a night-shift post under a supervisor with a personal connection to one of his accusers.

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Weaponizing the complaint process

The lawsuit describes a workplace culture where certain officers exploited SPD鈥檚 internal complaint mechanisms to attack O鈥橬eil鈥檚 character.

After rejecting what he called unwanted advances from Officer Gulpan, O鈥橬eil says she became openly insubordinate and later filed a retaliatory sexual harassment complaint. That, too, was dismissed鈥攂ut not before damaging his reputation within the department, the lawsuit contends.

By 2024, O鈥橬eil had been cleared of all wrongdoing in three separate investigations. Yet, according to the lawsuit, SPD leadership refused to reinstate him to meaningful roles. When he finally secured a transfer to the Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) Unit, female officers there allegedly lodged new complaints over unspecified incidents from 13 years before 鈥� effectively blocking his reassignment.

A recent independent review by MFR Associates, an outside firm hired by the city, appears to support O鈥橬eil鈥檚 claims, according to the lawsuit. The report highlighted a pattern of officers misusing SPD鈥檚 Equal Employment Opportunity and Office of Police Accountability complaint processes, specifically targeting O鈥橬eil.

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Another black eye for the city of Seattle with lawsuit

The lawsuit marks yet another black eye for the city of Seattle, already struggling with staffing crises. If O鈥橬eil鈥檚 claims hold up in court, they could force scrutiny over how the department handles internal complaints and whether Seattle鈥檚 progressive leadership selectively enforces policies based on political convenience. It’s also not the only lawsuit the city is facing.

Four female Seattle police officers鈥擵alerie Carson, Kame Spencer, Jean Gulpan, and Lauren Truscott鈥攈ave a lawsuit against the City of Seattle and the Seattle Police Department, alleging gender-based discrimination and retaliation. The officers claim they faced a hostile work environment, were denied promotions, and experienced retaliation after reporting misconduct.

But those four female officers are named in O’Neil’s lawsuit as being responsible for portions of the hostile environment he says he faced.

With a police department already in turmoil, this lawsuit could expose deeper systemic failures in how Seattle treats its officers. It also shows a staggering amount of drama under Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell’s leadership. As for O鈥橬eil, the fight is no longer just about his career 鈥� it is about restoring fairness to a broken system.

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