ST. LOUIS — A former employee of the diversion program in Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner's office has sued Gardner, the city and two other employees over alleged racial discrimination.
In the lawsuit, Rebecca Goetz, who is white, said she was the victim of racial discrimination during a meeting attended by Gardner and other leaders in the office and was fired when she tried to raise the issue. She is seeking back pay and damages for past and future pain and suffering.
Goetz was part of the office's diversion program, in which low-risk offenders can have their charges dismissed by attending classes and graduating from the program.
According to the lawsuit, a contracted employee, who is Black, berated her and another white employee at a meeting where Gardner and others were present. The lawsuit said the contracted employee told Goetz that she would "never know how to help these people" because she is not Black.
The contracted employee also said Goetz was acting "like a slave owner" because she was keeping track of fines that participants owed.
Goetz said Gardner did not admonish the other employee or stop him, and eventually brought in a different employee to mediate between the two while Gardner left the room.
The lawsuit said Goetz texted another employee in Gardner's office that night about the incident and said she was worried she was going to be fired because of it. She also texted that she might contact a lawyer over the issue.
The next day, she was placed on administrative leave pending an investigation of her texts. She was fired less than a week later.
Statement from Gardner's office:
The Circuit Attorney’s Office does not provide public information on pending litigation regarding personnel matters other than to say that we deny that the Office engaged in any wrongful conduct and we intend to defend this action vigorously.