A gay police officer is suing the city of Oceanside, California, alleging he faced both anti-LGBTQ+ harassment and retaliation after he reported it.

NBC 7 San Diego reports that Sgt. Tyler Peppard filed a lawsuit against the city on November 22. According to court documents, Peppard joined the Oceanside Police Department (OPD) as a recruit in August 2016. Following his first six months on the job, Peppard was outted as gay by his partner at the time, “making his sexual orientation known in a retaliatory manner,” according to the suit.

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Peppard claims that a year after he joined the OPD, Field Training Officer Matt Bryd told him during a performance evaluation that his “lifestyle choices do not add up to the values of our police department.” Bryd allegedly added that Peppard’s father, a former police officer, “is probably disappointed and embarrassed. He probably would prefer you turn in your badge and gun.”

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Following the evaluation, Peppard alleges his daily observation report markings “went from high to extremely low,” and he was later recommended for termination. However, his father used his connections with Sgt. Keli Garcia to help Peppard retain his job and to be moved “out of the purview of the units where he had been struggling,” according to the lawsuit.

Peppard was subsequently able to “thrive” at work, receiving “above standard” and “outstanding” marks until late 2023, when his supervisors changed. After that point, the harassment began again and was constant, with Peppard claiming his colleagues left rotting food in his equipment bag and even tampered with his SWAT equipment by removing ammunition. The harassment got so bad, the suit alleges, that Peppard became “anxious to eat food that may have been out of his sight for even just an instant, for fear that his colleagues would try to alter his food.”

In May, Peppard was placed on probation but denies the department’s allegations of “communications issues,” including not responding to text messages.  

The suit alleges that the department retaliated against Peppard after he reported his mistreatment. He claims he was denied a promotion, subjected to continued harassment, and placed on probation “simply because he is gay.”

Peppard says he met with a psychologist who diagnosed him with PTSD in October. The following month, he took medical leave to attend an outpatient program recommended by his doctor. He claims he “continues to struggle with emotional distress as a result of his employment, including without limitation, stress, anxiety, fear, anger, feelings of isolation and oppression, depression, problems with relationships, and the development of an eating disorder.”

“Once Sergeant Peppard came out, or was outed as homosexual, he was treated differently,” Peppard’s attorney, Dante Pride, told CBS 8. “The way that the officers speak to him, the way that they look at him, the respect that he feels, all of that has changed.”

Pride said he is aware of several other issues that will be made public during discovery.

“I don’t know how I would feel if the person who I have to report to, the person in charge of my paycheck, in charge of my hours, basically in charge of my life, tells me that they believe my parents should be ashamed because of my sexuality. I mean, it’s heavy, very heavy,” Pride said.

Oceanside City Attorney John Mullen responded to the suit, telling NBC 7 that “The city takes these allegations seriously and has retained a law firm to conduct an independent investigation to review Sgt. Peppard’s allegations.” Mullen added that the investigation is ongoing and that the city would not comment further “until all witnesses have been interviewed, all relevant evidence examined and the independent investigation is concluded.”

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