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Phoenix police commander claims she was retaliated against after reporting discrimination, lawsuit says

The police commander is alleging the city ignored her attempts to report harassment in the workplace.
Credit: 12News

PHOENIX — A long-time employee of the Phoenix Police Department is suing the city, claiming a colleague sabotaged her career opportunities.

Amy Breitzman filed the lawsuit last week in Maricopa County Superior Court, which accuses the city and its employees of discrimination and retaliating against the plaintiff.

Breitzman, who has worked at Phoenix police for almost 30 years, is alleging the city ignored her attempts to report harassment in the workplace. 

Furthermore, the plaintiff claims her career suffered because she was recently denied two promotions and got transferred to a "less desirable position" last year.

The plaintiff claims one of the agency's assistant chiefs "was trying to get other commanders to tell then-Chief (Jeri) Williams that Ms. Breitzman should not be promoted," the lawsuit states.

When Breitzam filed a complaint against the assistant chief that accused him of treating women differently, the plaintiff claimed she was moved to a different work assignment.

"Ms. Breitzman was subjected to an intolerable work environment that was severe and or pervasive," the lawsuit states.

The city declined to comment on the litigation. The defendants listed in the lawsuit include the City of Phoenix, former Assistant Chief Sean Connolly and Assistant Chief Nicholas Diponzio.

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