Two former officers, one current allege discrimination, harassment from Folsom Police Department

UPDATE: This story was edited at 9:30 a.m. Dec. 15, 2023, to correct that Kimberly Lim-Watson remains employed by the Folsom Police Department, according to City of Folsom spokesperson Christine Brainerd. Two former Folsom police officers and one current have filed lawsuits against the city of Folsom for alleged years of discrimination and harassment. James Dorris was the first former officer to file a civil complaint on Sept. 6 claiming to be the victim of racist remarks and actions from co-workers and unproportionate write-ups as compared to his other co-workers. According to Dorris' complaint, he is seeking compensation for damages and attorney fees. Dorris started working for the Folsom Police Department in 2005, and until 2022, the year he was fired, Dorris had "favorable performance over ten years," said the complaint. Between 2007 and 2008, anti-Asian stickers were placed on Dorris' locker by co-workers. The complaint also notes, "Unlike many similarly situated agencies, the Department did not have a policy prohibiting displaying of unprofessional, much less offensive, items (or any items) on the outside of lockers." The stickers would often be labeled "I'm Officer Dorris," and display offensive imagery tied to Asian stereotypes. One sticker even went as far as mocking Asian genitalia. Despite Dorris repeatedly removing the stickers as they appeared, his co-workers continued putting them on his locker, according to the complaint. His co-workers also placed trash and undergarments on his locker and made offensive remarks based on Dorris' skin color, according to the complaint. "(Dorris) informed his supervisor Sergeant Ty Schantz, about the issue he was having. Sergeant Schantz told him that he would 'take care of it.' Sergeant Schantz attempted to put an end to the harassment, but it still continued," said the complaint. "More specifically, Schantz brought (Dorris') concerns to the attention of his (Schantz's) superior officer, Lt. Perry Albers, who responded by laughing." Dorris' complaint details more that occurred while employed with the department, including what the complaint describes as an unproportionate amount of write-ups compared to his peers and extremely vulgar language from one of his superior officers. Another former Folsom Police officer, Homer Limon, also filed a complaint regarding workplace harassment based on his skin color and general hostility and sexual harassment toward his colleagues. According to Limon's complaint, he was a detective on the Special Enforcement Neighborhood Enhancement Team (SENET) until 2020. "During his employment, the complainant (Limon) observed other officers on the SENET team engaging in sexual misconduct at work and booking sexual favoritism with females at the massage parlors that SENET investigated," said Limon's complaint. Limon reported the sexual misconduct to his superiors in 2009, however, he was met with retaliation and threats from them. Following Limon's report, he was informed that internal investigations found the allegations to be "unfounded," but two of the officers Limon named were fired, according to the complaint. Limon was voluntarily demoted to patrolling officer within the month he reported the misconduct, according to the complaint. He reportedly endured continuous harassment following his report, being called names such as "rat" and "snitch" by his colleagues and superiors during his 20 years with the Folsom Police Department, according to the complaint. Limon's complaint further detailed the harassment he underwent based on his race. "The complainant (Limon) is a Mexican male. For any suspect arrested of Hispanic descent, fellow officers would make statements to the Complainant such as: 'I arrested your son on the streets today' or 'I arrested your brother, father today,' " the complaint said. Limon reported the harassment and discrimination to the department and human resources, "but no actions were taken," according to the complaint. Due to the harassment, Limon retired early in 2020 and believed leaving was the only way he could "seek actions against harassment, discrimination, and retaliation," the complaint said. Current officer Kimberly Moy Lim-Watson also filed a complaint regarding sexual harassment in the workplace, similar to what Limon reported. Lim-Watson was "aware of sexual favoritism between other female officers and their superiors," said her complaint. She also "witnessed how female officers participated in multiple sexual affairs, received promotions, and were treated with respect." She never applied for a promotion due to the "hostile environment" she witnessed. According to her complaint, Lim-Watson started as a police officer in 2005. Following her extended training due to "lack of self confidence," said the complaint, she became the "regular subject of ridicule by fellow officers and superiors." Her colleagues told her they felt she was "unsafe" to work with. She also received poor performance reviews. Lim-Watson later reported an incident where she was assaulted by her superior. She was participating in a regular shooting training when one of her superiors grabbed her by the legs and dragged her across the floor in front of her colleagues, according to the complaint. She also reported that when training continued, she was repeatedly touched by her superior. She reported the incident to the department and human resources, but no action was taken. Lim-Watson also reported receiving a text message from one of her superiors that stated, "I've only been working OT for an hour, and I already want to knock Kim Lim the f*** out. She has reconfirmed that she is the dumbest officer we have. Absolute embarrassment." The police department has not commented regarding the lawsuits.