In the United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division, a civil rights lawsuit has been filed by plaintiff Yesenia Galvan against the City of Chicago and several of its police officers. The case number is 24-cv-3854 and it was filed on May 10, 2024. Galvan is represented by James C. Vlahakis of Vilahakis Law Group LLC.
Ms. Galvan has been employed as a Patrol Officer with the Chicago Police Department since December 2018. Deputy Chief Adnardo Gutierrez convened a meeting about a verbal altercation between two other female officers. During the meeting, when asked about opinions regarding the incident between the officers, remained neutral stating "I do not have a problem with either side and that I look forward to working with everyone,"
After this, the plaintiff began to be ostracized for failing to side with either of the two officers involved in the altercation. This included other officers not wanting to train her, approaching her in an aggressive manor over precinct paper work and assigning an officer to simply observe her work.
These work related conditions led Ms. Galvan to suffer from stress, anxiety, sleep issues and weight loss which was confirmed by a health screening in December 2023.
In January 2024,the plaintiff spoke with Deputy Chief Gutierrez about her situation and ostracization to which the Chief had a negative reaction and that she should not let the other officers "get to you." She asked to be transferred away from her current precinct to another location.
Despite granting her the transfer on January 25, 2024, it was later rescinded by the Deputy Chief while he implied that she was "soft".
At this point the plaintiff was desperate to remove herself from the situation and asked to be transferred to again this time to a much less desirable location and loss of her administrative position to which Deputy Chief Gutierrez finalized on February 1st, 2024.
The plaintiff claims that after reporting discrimination to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) on January 25, 2024, she was subjected to further mistreatment and harassment by her superiors. She asserts that this retaliation occurred after she filed a Charge of Discrimination with the EEOC.
Galvan seeks judgment for violations of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the First Amendment. She also claims certain defendants violated the Illinois Whistleblower Act.