Caledonia Argus

Deputy withdraws Human Rights complaint

Posted: 12/9/03

By Shannon McKinney
Argus News Reporter
According to the Minnesota Department of Human Rights, Linda Coffield has withdrawn her complaint against the Houston County Sheriffís Office in order to seek redress through private civil action.

ìOur intent is to pursue litigation and still be open to resolution along the way,î said Coffieldís attorney Beth Bertelson.

Coffield is currently in the process of serving Houston County with a complaint which would start litigation.

Coffieldís complaint with the Department of Human Rights was withdrawn on Tuesday, November 25, 2003, the same day that the county board held a closed meeting with its lawyer to discuss her allegations.

The complaint was first filed on November 21, 2002.

Coffield has been employed by the Houston County Sheriffís office for 14 years.
The complaint was withdrawn before the Department of Human Rights had been able to make a determination of whether or not the sheriffís office had discriminated against Coffield on the basis of sex and reprisal.

Coffield had accused the sheriffís office of holding her to different performance requirements than her male employees. In August of 2002, she took a pay cut when she stepped down from the investigator position to patrol deputy to avoid reporting to Captain Gary Eddy, who she says conducted a biased investigation against her.

She also accused the sheriffís office of altering her work schedule as a form of reprisal after she confronted the sheriffís office with complaints of discrimination.

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