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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW October days break heat records in Medford ... Another wolf makes its way into Southern Oregon ... Our View: Let Medford voters decide on marijuana sales ... October days break heat records in Medford ... Another wolf makes its way into Southern Oregon ... Our View: Let Medford voters decide on marijuana sales ... SPRINGFIELD Springfield faces lawsuit from fired police cultural liaison Comment By The Associated Press MailTribune.com By The Associated Press Posted Aug. 18, 2015 at 3:47 PM By The Associated Press Posted Aug. 18, 2015 at 3:47 PM » Social News SPRINGFIELD — The city of Springfield is facing a lawsuit from the police department's former cultural liaison who says she was fired for talking about racial profiling complaints. Thelma Barone said in her lawsuit filed Monday that she was disciplined shortly after an audience member at a community event asked about racial profiling, and she responded that there had been complaints from the community, the Register-Guard reported. Her lawsuit says she was put on administrative leave and an investigation was launched into whether she lied about getting permission for teenagers to take pictures during a tour of the department. "That was their given reason, but just because your employer says this is the reason doesn't mean that it's true," said Barone's attorney, Andrew Lewinter. The lawsuit says Barone was eventually demoted to patrol duty and was fired Wednesday. She said she'd refused to sign an agreement that said she wouldn't "speak or write anything of a disparaging or negative manner" about the department, the city or its employees. A statement from Springfield spokesman Niel Laudati says Barone was not fired over her comments at the event. "In fact, during that presentation Chief Tim Doney introduced her to the group at Ms. Barone's request and even assisted her with answering questions, including one regarding racial profiling. Our legal counsel has instructed us not to provide further details at this time," the statement said. "We look forward to responding to the allegations in court." Police Chief Tim Doney, the city and three of its employees were named in the lawsuit. By The Associated Press MailTribune.com By The Associated Press Posted Aug. 18, 2015 at 3:47 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501