SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio police lieutenant had a 30-day suspension reduced to just three days after a third-party arbitrator last month ruled there was no truth to the allegation that he had sexually harassed a female sergeant.
Lt. Christopher Johnson was suspended 30 days in March 2022 after internal affairs investigators determined he gave a graphic description of a sexual encounter between him and the female sergeant while she and other members of the department were present.
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Johnson argued during a three-day arbitration hearing in April that his October 2021 comments were made while simply describing the plot of a television show.
The San Antonio Express-News reported in April the show in question is “The Handmaid’s Tale,” a series set in a dystopian future in which a majority of women are unable to bear children.
In his 10-page award, arbitrator Bill Detwiler said evidence gathered after Johnson was suspended played a substantial role in his decision to reduce the punishment.
Detwiler wrote that there was considerable circumstantial evidence provided that the female sergeant had an agenda to undermine Johnson’s career and may have worked with other members of the department to do so.
The female sergeant also leaked the contents of her complaint to the local media, Detwiler wrote.
“Witness testimony in this case severely undermines the credibility and character of (the sergeant),” wrote Detwiler, who noted the woman violated SAPD policy by discussing her complaint with others outside of the investigation.
One of the witnesses at the hearing, a male sergeant, testified that he felt pressured by the female before she filed her complaint, causing him to feel that she was retaliating by changing her demeanor toward him.
He testified that the conversation about the show was nothing out of the ordinary.
Notably, Detwiler’s ruling removed the sexual harassment violation against Johnson, writing that there was no truth to that allegation.
Detwiler upheld the violation that Johnson participated in conduct that was prejudicial to good order.
City Attorney Andy Segovia released the following statement on the arbitrator’s ruling:
“We were disappointed that the suspension was reduced, but the sustaining of some level of discipline reinforces our commitment to a work environment free from inappropriate behavior for our employees.”