Wichita detective’s lawsuit says promotions were given to ‘less experienced’ white men

A Wichita police detective is suing the city after being passed over for promotions in favor of “less experienced, Caucasian male employees.”

A complaint filed in federal court Wednesday by Kelly Mar’s attorneys seeks $75,000 in damages for discrimination and retaliation. The suit says Mar is an Asian woman who has been employed with the Wichita Police Department since 1996. She was wrongfully fired in 2014, the document says, and rehired in 2015 following a labor arbitration decision.

Since then, Mar’s performance has been more closely scrutinized than those of younger, white men in the department, the document says.

City of Wichita attorney Jennifer Magana said the city would not comment on pending litigation.

The document filed by Mar’s attorneys — Donald Peterson II and Sean McGivern of Wichita-based Graybill & Hazlewood LLC — says Mar was passed over for a promotion in April 2017 based on her “race, age, gender and national origin.”

Mar complained, which led to her being placed under investigation, the document says. She was then denied polygraph training hours and complained to human resources, leading to more retaliation, the document says.

“A new technique Defendant implemented against Plaintiff in 2019, perhaps uniquely against Plaintiff, is a form non-grievable discipline that remains in Plaintiff’s file and prevents her from seeking promotion,” the document says.

The suit claims Mar’s rights were violated under the Civil Rights Act and the Kansas Act Against Discrimination.