A former California police sergeant has been granted $1.7 million in a settlement, three years after offensive text messages rife with sexual innuendos and racist stereotypes from her male colleagues came to light.
Stacie Szatmari, who dedicated almost 20 years to the Fresno Police Department, alleged she was ‘wrongfully terminated’ in 2022 following the exposure of homophobic and racist messages exchanged by male colleagues in a workplace chat.
In the months leading up to her dismissal, Szatmari was subjected to numerous sexually explicit messages within the same chat thread. One message, sent on Thanksgiving, read, “Oh yes! Stuff me! Stuff me real hard!” and was accompanied by an image of a wide-eyed cartoon turkey being stuffed, as detailed in a lawsuit obtained by The Fresno Bee.
Despite discussions aimed at curbing this inappropriate behavior, Szatmari claimed it only escalated. At times, even her own sister was mentioned by members of the department.
Court documents reveal that Szatmari’s supervisor allegedly remarked after one incident that “the boys get to do what the boys get to do, no questions asked.”
The lawsuit also contends that just before her termination, rumors were spread by officers portraying her as a “wild child” and akin to a “drunk college kid.”
In July 2023, Szatmari filed a lawsuit alleging she endured repeated sexual harassment and was wrongfully terminated after trying to put an end to officers’ behavior – some of whom she supervised.
On Wednesday, officials confirmed that the city of Fresno agreed to pay the former sergeant $1.7 million, a settlement approved by the City Council during a closed-session meeting in November, according to The Fresno Bee.
Stacie Szatmari, a former female California police sergeant, was awarded a $1.7 million payout three years after vile text messages filled with sexual ‘jokes’ and racist stereotypes from her male coworkers were exposed
Szatmari, a recently promoted officer who spent nearly two decades with the Fresno Police Department, was fired in 2022 weeks after homophobic and racist messages sent by male coworkers were exposed
Nick Yasman (pictured), Szatmari’s attorney, told the outlet that the lawsuit was ‘amicably resolved.’
Nick Yasman, Szatmari’s attorney, told the outlet that the lawsuit was ‘amicably resolved.’
The years-long court battle came after Szatmari, who started with the department in 2003, was promoted to sergeant of the K-9 and mounted patrol unit in September 2020.
‘I was so excited. It’s such an elite unit. And having the ability to be a supervisor, I was just in awe,’ she said in a 2023 news release. ‘I’m emotional talking about it.’
Just days after her promotion, Lt. Jordan Beckford allegedly told Szatmari that the unit operated ‘under Vegas rules,’ using the slogan, ‘What happens in the K-9 field, stays in the K-9 field,’ according to the lawsuit.
On Thanksgiving Day 2020, Lt. Bill Dooley started a thread – obtained by the outlet – which included Szatmari and officers Geoff Tushnet, Brian Sturgeon and Jim Young.
Dooley, who was her supervisor at the time, sent a text that read: ‘Happy Turkey Day (turkey emoji)!!! Geoffery – when you send out your annual turkey neck pic, you BETTER include Stacie!!!’
Tushnet then an image of a Thanksgiving turkey ‘with a human penis overlayed onto the neck and head,’ according to a complaint obtained by The Fresno Bee.
Alongside the photo was a message that allegedly read: ‘Our turkey is ready to eat.’
In one instance, Lt Bill Dooley (pictured), Szatmari’s supervisor at the time, sent a text that read: ‘Happy Turkey Day (turkey emoji)!!! Geoffery – when you send out your annual turkey neck pic, you BETTER include Stacie!!!’
The behavior escalated in December 2020, when Szatmari was the only woman in an all-male briefing during which they discussed a blow-up doll that would be passed around at the Christmas party, the lawsuit alleged
In a third image, a rooster with a pronounced wattle was paired with a crude genital joke – workplace content the lawsuit says left Szatmari embarrassed and uncomfortable.
The behavior escalated in December 2020, when Szatmari was the only woman in an all-male briefing during which they discussed a blow-up doll that would be passed around at the Christmas party, the lawsuit alleged.
According to the complaint, she asked them to stop discussing it, but said the request only led them to speak more explicitly until she left the room.
It was following that incident that her boss, Dooley, allegedly told her the men in the unit could act however they wanted, with no questions asked.
According to the lawsuit, the men in the unit repeatedly joked about having sex with Szatmari’s sister, who had been to the office that same month, The Fresno Bee reported.
After she left, an officer allegedly told the sergeant, ‘I wouldn’t mind f***ing your sister,’ according to the filing.
In a third text message thread around Christmas 2020, involving the same group plus Officer Donovan Pope, the officers again began referencing her sister while discussing the holiday.
One text obtained by the outlet read: ‘Orrr… we could have our white elephant party at your sister’s house…’
The filing claimed that days after her promotion, Lt. Jordan Beckford (pictured) allegedly told Szatmari that the unit operated ‘under Vegas rules,’ using the slogan, ‘What happens in the K-9 field, stays in the K-9 field’
According to the lawsuit, the men in the unit repeatedly joked about having sex with Szatmari’s sister, who had been to the office that same month
In February 2021, according to the lawsuit, Szatmari held a unit meeting to warn the officers once again that the sexually inappropriate behavior and so-called ‘Vegas rules’ needed to stop.
Months later, in July 2021, seven officers who had attended a K-9-related trip to Adlerhorst International, a training facility, began messaging in another group text – this time sharing homophobic and racist images and GIFs.
Some of the images included genitals and masturbation, with the officers allegedly making sexual insinuations about acts Szatmari would perform, the filing said.
Another series of text messages from the same month, obtained by The Fresno Bee, showed several officers making ‘jokes’ about race and homosexuality.
The thread included the officers mentioned, as well as officers Matthew Vincent, Brandon Lyon, Manuel Amaya and Will Padilla.
After Amaya corrected another officer on the misspelling of his name, the officers exchanged a series of images, including two men holding hands while crossing a street, men carrying Pride flags, gay icon Freddie Mercury and a wrestler’s buttocks.
More images were sent, including characters from the romantic drama Brokeback Mountain – depicting a forbidden affair between two cowboys – and a photo of porn star and producer Ron Jeremy.
Several additional images depicted men holding sausages or appearing to masturbate, according to the outlet.
In a third text message thread around Christmas 2020, involving the same group plus Officer Donovan Pope (pictured), a text read: ‘Orrr… we could have our white elephant party at your sister’s house…’
The Thanksgiving 2020 text thread included Szatmari and officers Geoff Tushnet, Brian Sturgeon (right) and Jim Young (left)
The conversation then shifted to racial and ethnic stereotypes, with an officer sending an image of a dog wearing a sombrero labeled ‘Mexico.’
Officer Tushnet then asked if it was Amaya’s hat before sending an image of President Donald Trump that read: ‘I love Mexico. I love the Mexican people. I love them.’
Amaya responded with an image of a man standing behind a pig atop a trophy and accompanied it with a text that read: Still got that trophy from when I banged your mom.’
According to the lawsuit, after the July 2021 trip, Szatmari began distancing herself from the unit’s officers as they allegedly started spreading false rumors about her character.
That same month, the filing claimed that she was pulled from duty and placed on leave.
The documents alleged that some officers filed a false Internal Affairs complaint to have her removed, claiming she had exposed herself and danced while serving them tea during the recent trip.
Szatmari allegedly took her complaints to Chief Paco Balderrama in August 2022, but was terminated just months later in December.
‘I’m not part of the “good old boys club” because I chose to keep my integrity,’ Szatmari said in the 2023 news release.
‘And here I am without a job. How fair is that?’ she added. ‘It has completely torn apart my livelihood.’
The lawsuit claims that the years-long ordeal took a serious toll on her mental health, resulting in panic attacks and anxiety.
The lawsuit sought lost wages, medical expenses, attorney fees and other damages, which were scheduled to be determined at trial.
