Two Los Angeles police officers have alleged in separate lawsuits that they were illegally disciplined by LAPD commanders after being wrongly accused of faking an illness as part of a “Blue Flu” protest action over the July 4 weekend.
Officers Ryan Putman and Meggan Stroup each allege in lawsuits filed in California Superior Court last week that they had legitimately fallen ill and properly used their sick leave to call out, but were nonetheless rounded up with hundreds of other officers who called out sick and punished for a protest they had nothing to do with.
Putman and Stroup each said they were directly accused of being a “Blue-Flu’er” by superiors, and of abusing their sick leave, lying, conspiring with others to engage in an illegal work protest and committing serious misconduct. They each said they were told that their past use of sick leave would be audited, and that an “Action Item” would be placed in their personnel file officially labeling them a “Blue-Flu Officer” — which they described as “an undesirable, damaging and negative moniker” that would follow them for the rest of their careers and harm their prospects for advancement and promotion in the department.
Josh Rubenstein, an LAPD spokesman, said the department could not comment on the ongoing litigation.
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