Officer A.J. Torres filed his criticism with the state civil rights fee on February 8, 2022. The submitting with the fee is a step required by state regulation earlier than submitting an employment discrimination lawsuit.
At a information convention Tuesday in Sheffield Lake, Ohio, Torres’ lawyer Kevin Conway stated the officer was repeatedly harassed by Campo as a result of his faith and race. Torres stated he’s a “devoted Catholic” and shouldn’t have to cover his faith at work.
“I do not put away my nationality and my heritage after I come to work, I should not have to cover my faith both,” Torres stated.
Legal professional Ashlie Case Sletvold, who additionally represents Torres, stated Campo positioned an image of Torres with two youngsters, taken whereas on a missionary journey, including a speech bubble that implied Torres was a pedophile, on a police division bulletin board. The bulletin board was one that every one officers had been required to test every day for “every day studies and logs in addition to different departmental orders and publications,” in keeping with Torres’ rebuttal to the town’s feedback, and Campo left the picture there for months. Sletvold additionally stated that Campo allegedly repeatedly mocked Torres for not working Sundays as a result of his non secular beliefs and positioned an image of Torres on a picture of a priest. Torres’ attorneys additionally say in a separate incident, Campo positioned a picture of Torres on an image of a bottle of salsa picante scorching sauce and positioned it on a police bulletin board.
Based on a letter from the town’s attorneys obtained by CNN from the attorneys for the officers following Tuesday’s presser, the town of Sheffield Lake doesn’t dispute Campo’s conduct was “maybe inappropriate and in poor style,” nonetheless the town maintains that the previous chief’s actions had been “not so offensive to the cheap person who it might materially have an effect on the phrases and penalties of employment.” The town’s attorneys additionally stated Campo denies harassing Torres about his faith however admits to creating and posting the photographs Torres and his attorneys allege, in keeping with these paperwork.
CNN has reached out to the Ohio Civil Rights Fee for response to those new allegations. CNN has not been capable of attain Campo.
In June 2021, Campo was seen on video inserting a Ku Klux Klan label over the police insignia on a Black officer’s raincoat. Within the video, officer Keith Pool, the division’s solely Black officer on the time, was seen then getting into the room and showing to snicker after seeing the raincoat. Pool’s attorneys say Campo then inspired others to view his actions and proceeded to parade across the workplace with a KKK hat and stated Pool must put on the hat on his subsequent name. Based on CNN affiliate WOIO, Sheffield Mayor Dennis Deliver says Pool informed him he solely laughed given the uncomfortable place he was put in by the chief’s prank.
Pool subsequently filed an employment discrimination criticism.
“It was so demeaning that within the second I simply did not know learn how to react to it. I felt like I might been hit with a sledgehammer,” Pool informed reporters in a press convention when he detailed his complaints in opposition to the previous police chief final yr.
Shortly after the incident, Campo was requested by the town’s mayor to show in his badge and keys and the mayor introduced Campo’s retirement after, in keeping with CNN associates. In an interview with CNN affiliate WEWS, Campo claimed his actions seen within the video had been “a joke that obtained out of hand.” Torres stated Tuesday that the whole lot the previous chief put him and Pool by wasn’t a joke and Campo’s alleged racist and anti-Catholic assaults harm.
