A transgender police officer in South Florida claims department brass deliberately misgendered him, refused to use his preferred name and pronouns, then allegedly forced him off the job after a “Christian counselor” working for the city issued a bogus report declaring him unfit for duty.
Eli Schanley joined the Sarasota Police Department in 2015, earning numerous commendations, including a medal for a lifesaving rescue that “showed courage and resolve,” according to a 61-page civil rights lawsuit obtained by The Independent. However, after Schanley began his gender transition in 2021, becoming the department’s lone trans officer, his complaint says he was wrongly deemed “a danger to herself [sic] and the public,” and invited to instead apply for a job as a janitor.
