A former police officer has filed a lawsuit against the City of Hammond, alleging discrimination and retaliation based on his disabilities. Anthony Fox filed the complaint in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana on June 17, 2024, accusing the City of Hammond of violating federal and state laws by targeting him due to his vision and lung-related disabilities.
Anthony Fox, a lifelong resident of Tangipahoa Parish, had always aspired to serve as a police officer despite being born with retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), which led to various eye defects and vision-related disabilities. He also suffered from other medical conditions like Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD) and Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA). Despite these challenges, Fox joined the Hammond Police Department (HPD) in December 2015 as a Jailer and was promoted to Police Officer in May 2017. However, after his promotion, he claims that Chief Edwin Bergeron Jr. and Lt. Doug Banks began mocking his disabilities and subjecting him to unwarranted disciplinary actions.
Fox alleges that after he objected to this treatment, the City of Hammond retaliated by forcing him to undergo unnecessary medical exams and ultimately terminating his employment on March 13, 2023. The lawsuit states that Fox was involved in four fleet vehicle accidents over four years but was singled out for medical examinations while non-disabled officers involved in more accidents faced no such scrutiny. "The Vehicle Accident Policy does not allow for vision or eye examinations after an accident involving an HPD employee," Fox's complaint notes.
Fox's complaint also details how he was disciplined for minor infractions like clocking in one minute late while other officers' similar or worse behaviors went unpunished. After filing an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Charge of Discrimination on September 1, 2022, Fox claims that Chief Bergeron retaliated by halting discussions about a consent discipline agreement and issuing further disciplinary actions.
The plaintiff is seeking various forms of relief from the court, including declaratory relief, injunctive relief such as reinstatement or front pay/benefits, compensatory damages for emotional distress, punitive damages, attorney’s fees, costs, pre- and post-judgment interest, and any other relief deemed just by the court.
The case is being handled by attorneys Casey Rose Denson and Justine G. Daniel from Casey Denson Law LLC. The presiding judge is yet to be determined under Case ID: 2:24-cv-01568-JCZ-MBN.