Opinion ID: 3166429
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Corbett’s CCSO Employment History

Text: Corbett was hired in August 2003 as a CCSO Deputy Sheriff. In July 2004, Corbett applied for and obtained the position of Youth Resource Officer, where she worked for approximately three years. In 2007, Corbett applied for an open detective position in Narcotics, a division of CCSO Organized Crime Unit. 2 Following her application, Corbett was interviewed and selected by Lieutenant Barry Abramowitz to transfer to Narcotics, a lateral position, on May 14, 2007. 3 While meeting the requirements for detective, Corbett, the only woman in the Narcotics division, had strained relationships with the male 1 Corbett sued Sheriff Beseler in his official capacity; her claims do not concern Sheriff Beseler directly. 2 The Organized Crime Unit is comprised of various subdivisions, including Street Crimes and Narcotics. Within the Narcotics division are subsections with individuals who specialize in certain areas, such as pharmaceuticals, methamphetamine (“meth”) labs, or marijuana-grow houses. Narcotics detectives can be assigned to assist with other Narcotics operations. 3 As a detective, Corbett received $50 incentive pay every two weeks for a clothing allowance, since Narcotics detectives wear their personal clothes rather than a uniform. 2 Case: 14-11049 Date Filed: 12/30/2015 Page: 3 of 20 detectives. She admitted the male detectives considered her to be demeaning and critical of their job performance. Consequently, they did not like working with her. From October 2007 until his transfer in October 2009, Sergeant Wayne McKinney directly oversaw Corbett and the Narcotics division. He generally gave Corbett positive evaluations, although his evaluations noted she could be abrupt and rude toward others. Detectives in Narcotics are assigned partners with whom they work, including backing up each other. Corbett’s first two partners were Detectives David Vaughn and Greg Michon. Throughout her tenure in Narcotics, Corbett and Michon were partnered from time to time. While it was rumored they were having an affair, Corbett testified they did not have an affair, but they had a friendly relationship. On September 6, 2009, Lieutenant Abramowitz, who oversaw the Organized Crimes Unit, including changing partners, reassigned Michon and Corbett with new partners. Because Corbett and Michon were more experienced detectives, Lieutenant Abramowitz determined they should work in a training role by providing guidance to inexperienced detectives. In addition, Lieutenant Abramowitz thought Corbett needed to demonstrate she could handle cases without relying on Michon, since there was a perception he handled the majority of their case work. 3 Case: 14-11049 Date Filed: 12/30/2015 Page: 4 of 20 Although giving Corbett and Michon new partners was a decision from their chain of command, Corbett and Michon openly questioned their reassignment with coworkers. When Corbett’s complaining continued, Lieutenant Abramowitz met her one evening in front of a Winn-Dixie to discuss the separation in partners. Lieutenant Abramowitz explained he had separated them so Corbett could become a leader in the division and enhance her career. She did not think that would be the result, because she is a woman, and she perceived no one would listen to her. Lieutenant Abramowitz counseled her the likely reason others would not listen was because she could be overbearing, but he believed she could be successful in the detective role, despite potential difficulties encountered by women in law enforcement. Nonetheless, Corbett continued to complain to Lieutenant Abramowitz concerning her displeasure with the repartnering; she further went up the chain of command and complained directly to Captain Senters in 2009. She told Captain Senters she was unhappy with the move of Michon back to Patrol and being told she could not work directly with Michon without permission. Captain Senters explained he thought Michon should have been moved to Patrol a year before, because he had spent too much time in Narcotics. At this December 2009 meeting with Captain Senters, Corbett did not complain of lacking training, not getting 4 Case: 14-11049 Date Filed: 12/30/2015 Page: 5 of 20 overtime, or gender discrimination; her complaint was limited to moving Michon to Patrol. Corbett then was assigned as a Field Training Officer to Detective Hanlin, who had moved into Narcotics from Street Crimes. Corbett and Hanlin had personality conflicts. Hanlin complained to his supervisors Corbett was bossy and condescending toward him. Thereafter, Sergeant McKinney addressed the problem with Corbett and informed her she came across as “bitchy and demeaning.” He suggested the other detectives would be more receptive if she used a more welcoming, less demeaning tone. In October 2009, Sergeant McKinney left Narcotics and was replaced by Shawn Gordon. Corbett represents Sergeant Gordon also told her she was bossy and abrasive; other detectives did not like her attitude, and she needed to change her behavior. Although Corbett and Michon were no longer partners, they were assigned to work together in dismantling meth labs. They also continued working together without their supervisors’ approval, which left Detectives Lavaron and Hanlin without partners, requiring them to work together. Following Detective Hanlin’s complaints, Sergeant Gordon explained to Corbett she needed to partner with Detective Hanlin rather than returning to Michon. Corbett also had issues with Detective Lavaron, with whom she had performed multiple trash pulls to look for evidence of a crime. In the course of one 5 Case: 14-11049 Date Filed: 12/30/2015 Page: 6 of 20 trash pull, Corbett drove the vehicle away when the suspect came out of the house, which left Detective Lavaron stranded in the suspect’s yard. In addition, Corbett spoke condescendingly to Detective Lavaron. From his work experiences with Corbett, Detective Lavaron preferred not to work with her, because she constantly was condescending toward him and had put him in an unsafe situation during a trash pull, which caused him not to trust her with his life. Corbett had received extensive training during her tenure in Narcotics, including becoming certified to dismantle a meth lab. She contends she requested to attend a tracking training in Tampa in September 2009, but she was not permitted to attend. Sergeant McKinney does not recall denying Corbett this training opportunity. She also claims she requested to attend gambling training in 2009 but was denied. No one attended the gambling training, because money was not in the CCSO budget to finance it, and the instructor was not considered an expert by the State Attorney’s Office. While Corbett complains she was not given the same overtime opportunities as the male detectives, overtime largely was voluntary. A whiteboard with overtime assignments, primarily trash pulls, was in the Narcotics office, and interested detectives placed their names on the board. Assignments were on a firstcome-first-served basis. Corbett received substantial overtime in Narcotics. During the time she was not certified to dismantle meth labs, Corbett nonetheless 6 Case: 14-11049 Date Filed: 12/30/2015 Page: 7 of 20 was given overtime dismantling meth labs throughout 2008 and 2009. She also admitted she received some overtime and never was denied any overtime opportunity she requested on the whiteboard. After being certified to dismantle meth labs in 2009, Corbett acquired significant hours of overtime from November 2009 through January 2010.4 During a six-month period, Corbett received more overtime than Detective Seeley, a male Narcotics coworker. She also had more overtime hours than Detective Michon during the six-month time prior to his leaving Narcotics. Corbett took a significant amount of leave time during that six-month period, at least 90 hours. Neither Sergeant McKinney nor Sergeant Gordon purposefully excluded Corbett from overtime opportunities; Corbett never complained to them she wanted more overtime. 5 4 Although Corbett claims she repeatedly was denied training opportunities for methamphetamine school, the ability to attend the trainings depended on when they were offered. When Sergeant McKinney got approval, Corbett and Detective Lavaron were the first employees sent to the school to receive certification to disassemble meth labs. Corbett also had a three-day recertification course in February 2010 and a Leadership Privacy Seminar in March 2010. She was called eleven times from November 2009 to February 2010 to dismantle meth labs. Corbett was offered the chance to attend a DEA-sponsored school relating to site safety, but she was unable to attend, because of a prearranged family vacation. Consequently, the DEA did not give CCSO the opportunity to send other employees to the class. Corbett requested and was permitted to attend a stress-management-incentive school. Upon completion, the state paid Corbett additional money for attending. Although Corbett claims she repeatedly was denied training opportunities, she told her doctor she was well trained and knew her job well. 5 Corbett claims she was denied overtime on one occasion, when CCSO did not send her to dismantle a marijuana-grow operation and meth lab. Instead, Detectives Lavaron and Hanlin, who was uncertified, were sent on this job. Based on the small size of the meth lab, Sergeant 7 Case: 14-11049 Date Filed: 12/30/2015 Page: 8 of 20 Believing she could no longer do her job with the male detectives in Narcotics, who allegedly would not work with her, Corbett requested a transfer to Warrants, which she did not receive. Thereafter, Lieutenant Abramowitz counseled Corbett concerning the struggles and success of females in law enforcement. He viewed himself as a mentor to Corbett and gave her the example of his wife, who had been successful in twenty-five years of law enforcement. Prior to his leaving Narcotics to work in Pharmaceutical Investigations in October 2009, Sergeant McKinney spoke to Corbett about the possibility of her moving to Pharmaceutical Investigations. He believed it presented a growth opportunity for her, and she could be successful there. Although Corbett initially turned down the offer to move to Pharmaceutical Investigations, a management decision was made in May 2010 to assign her there. Since Pharmaceutical Investigations received federal funding and participated in the state High Intensity Drug Trafficking task force, it provided Corbett with many opportunities to earn overtime. She additionally was sent for training for a week in May 2010 for Pharmaceutical Investigations. On May 27, 2010, the Narcotics and Street Crimes divisions executed a search warrant in which Corbett participated. Later that day, Sergeant Gordon Gordon decided certified Detective Lavaron could disassemble it, while uncertified Detective Hanlin interviewed witnesses at the crime scene. 8 Case: 14-11049 Date Filed: 12/30/2015 Page: 9 of 20 conducted routine debriefing, during which Corbett became defensive and accused Sergeant Gordon of blaming her for mishandling evidence. When the discussion became heated, Lieutenant Abramowitz took Corbett and Sergeant Gordon into his office. He was concerned with Corbett’s reaction to Sergeant Gordon’s inquiry about the evidence; she represents Lieutenant Abramowitz and Sergeant Gordon had yelled at her during the debriefing. Corbett became upset and yelled at Sergeant Gordon. Because tempers continued to flare, Lieutenant Abramowitz ended the meeting and told Corbett they would speak again the next day. On the morning of May 28, 2010, Corbett again met with Lieutenant Abramowitz and Sergeant Gordon. She testified she was told to “sit down, be quiet, [and] don’t speak until spoken to”; she was required to listen to Sergeant Gordon’s orders. Corbett claims Sergeant Gordon firmly told her she was not to speak of him; she was to do exactly as she was told; he reminded her he was in charge; and he informed her she would handle the pill cases he assigned to her or those she generated herself. At that time, Corbett already was working in Pharmaceutical Investigations.