Quick News: Second officer sues City for employment discrimination

     For the second time in as many months, a Grain Valley police officer has filed suit in Jackson County claiming employment discrimination. 
     On April 1st, attorneys for Kevin Bellmyer filed a petition in Jackson County Circuit Court claiming Bellmyer was discriminated against for his age when applying internally for a school resource officer position. 
     The petition claims Bellmyer, 50 years old at the time of the incident, began working for the department as an officer in March 2019. A school resource officer (SRO) opening was announced in late December 2020, and Bellmyer sent a formal memo indicating his interest in the position, and later shadowed current SRO to prepare for an interview.
     The petition states, "On or about January 12, 2021, SRO Sergeant Stratton told Plaintiff he overheard Grain Valley Police Chief James Beale make comments to other supervising officers about Plaintiff’s age and told them, “We don’t need any gray hair in the school.”
     The petition goes on to state two officers, including Bellmyer, were interviewed for the position, and a younger officer with less experience was ultimately awarded the job, against the recommendation of a panel of interviewers from the Grain Valley School District and three members of the police department. The petition claims the "Grain Valley School District was upset with Defendant’s decision to overturn the School District’s decision and/or recommendation that Plaintiff be hired as the new SRO."
     The petition states Bellmyer filed a complaint with the City's Human Resources Department alleging discrimination on April 15, 2021 and filed a charge of discrimination in June 2021 with the Missouri Commission on Human Rights (MCHR), receiving a right to sue from MCHR in January 2022. 
     Judge Kenneth R. Garrett has been assigned to the case, with an initial conference scheduled July 25, 2022.
     Attorneys for Bellmyer did not respond to requests for comment. The City declined to comment, stating they do not discuss personnel matters or pending litigation. 

See also:
Officer sues City for employment discrimination