Former Seattle police employee sues city for $3M over rumors of affair with ex-police chief: report
The former chief of staff at the Seattle Police Department is demanding the city pay her $3 million over alleged pervasive sexual harassment in the workplace stemming from a rumor that she had a sexual relationship with the ex-chief, according to a report.Jamie Tompkins, a former news anchor turned chief of staff to ex-Police Chief Adrian Diaz, suffered from a “sexually hostile” workplace that extended from patrol cops to top brass — even all the way up to city hall when the mayor said he’d “do” her, she claimed in the suit obtained by Fox 13 Seattle.The allegations of a relationship began as soon as the former Fox 13 anchor decided to leave her news gig to work for Diaz in May 2023, and were amplified to outrageous proportions while working at police headquarters, according to a demand letter addressed to Mayor Bruce Harrell.Before even starting the gig, Tompkins, 42, was approached by a reporter who informed her that SPD officers already had a commonly held belief that she and Chief Diaz were knocking city-issued boots.Those rumors were fueled by several assistant chiefs — including another Fox 13 colleague who also left the station to join the police department, according to the letter.After starting as chief of staff, Tompkins, who is married and the mother of three children, claimed the harassment was constant. In one surreal exchange, female Command Team member Heather Marx went into Tompkin’s office and told her flatly it was “OK” that she was “sleeping with the chief,” the document claims.
Tompkins reported the incident to SPD Human Resources and was then surreally told by one assistant chief that “if she looked like Heather Marx, she wouldn’t be treated this way,” the letter stated.One officer exhibited startling behavior, taking unauthorized photos of Tompkins, revealing he watched her on surveillance cameras, and stating he could track her by scent, the letter alleged.Another female officer was found to have staked out her ...