Former Santa Barbara Police Dispatch Files Wrongful Termination Suit

Santa Barbara former dispatcher, Bridget Bryden was granted a lawsuit proceeding for being wrongfully terminated in 2016 after alerting her superiors about unsafe working conditions.  The suit alleges that she was terminated wrongfully after filing a complaint that the standards set for new dispatchers have been ignored to fill constant vacant positions.  The claim further states that the new hires posed potential liabilities to the department as they were not fluent in multi-tasking.

The opposing counsel insisted Bridget quit after she was notified about being a part of an internal affairs investigation.  They pushed for the dismissal of the case but was strongly rejected by the judge as there isn’t true evidence to whether Bryden was terminated or indeed quit.  Bryden noted that the investigation was initiated against her shortly after she came out as a whistleblower.

The city attorneys argued that it was all coincidental and there was true legitimacy to the investigation, but the Judge swiftly interceded stating that the timing “is certainly suspect.”  The wrongful termination case is to take place sometime in March.