The Folsom Police Department continues to be mired in racism and discrimination allegations, with more claims coming last week from former department employees.
The latest information adds to the litany of allegations already facing the department. Four lawsuits centered on racism have been filed against the department over the last year.
The lawsuits name about 10 current department employees, alleging they engaged in multiple acts of racism toward officers of Latino, Asian and Canadian descent. One officer identified in the lawsuit has come under particular scrutiny after an online video surfaced and showed him working at his coffee business while on a paid leave of absence.
“That department stole my life,” said a former Folsom Officer Homer Limon, with tears in his eyes, at a Wednesday news conference.
The news conference was the first time any of the former employees spoke out publicly. They detailed the claims in their lawsuit, along with alleging that the department’s patterns of harassment and discrimination extend “all the way up to chief” and impact Folsom residents.
“Our goal is to change the culture of the Folsom Police Department,” said former Folsom Officer James Dorris.
In response to the allegations and lawsuits, Christine Brainerd, a spokeswoman for the city of Folsom, said the city does not comment on the ongoing litigation.
What are the officers’ allegations?
Dorris, who is of Asian descent, filed the first lawsuit against the department in September.
He alleged officers put “anti-Asian and racially offensive” stickers on his locker, made comments about his slanted eyes and mimicked an Asian accent for more than a decade. The stickers included the iconic photos of a Vietnamese execution and children fleeing their village after being torched by napalm .
“Every time I would take them down, more pictures come up,” Dorris said. “So I gave up.”
Dorris also alleged the department’s issues extend to Folsom Police Chief Rick Hillman. He recalled sending Hillman a text saying “I’m broken” following years of alleged discrimination.
Hillman never responded, Dorris said.
The city of Folsom has said that Dorris’ lawsuit is “retaliatory. He was fired in January 2022 for using racist language and allegedly engaging in sexual activity while on duty. The city’s decision was eventually approved by an independent arbitrator, who concluded Dorris should be terminated for sending racist texts.
But at the news conference, Dorris said he filed his discrimination claim a year before he was terminated. Regardless, Dorris said he feels remorse, takes accountability for his actions and is not fighting for his job.
“I want to see the accountability be equal,” he said.
Two other former employees — Limon and Laura Knudsen — filed lawsuits against the department last month.
Limon, who was hired in 2003, claims his discrimination only began after he reported the alleged misconduct of fellow officers.
In the years that followed, Limon said his “life changed.” Department employees began treating him differently and he constantly feared retaliation.
In some instances, Limon said, superiors and officers would mockingly ask him to pronounce arrestees’ names and tell him comments such as “We just arrested your son on the street.”
“The moment I spoke up I knew my career was gone,” Limon said.
The discrimination toward Knudsen stemmed from her Canadian descent, she said. Knudsen alleged employees would repeatedly mock her appearance, accent and “non-American status.”
At the news conference, Knudsen said she did not feel compelled to speak up until she heard people questioning Dorris’ claims.
“I witnessed the racist behavior with James almost on a daily basis,” Knudsen said. “That fueled the fire in me. I can stand up for someone else more than I can stand up for myself.”
Knudsen’s lawsuit also claims the department’s harassment and discrimination affects Folsom’s residents as well. She recalled an officer making statements during department meetings such as “Let’s get the Blacks out of our city and send them back to Oakland.”
Kimberly Lim-Watson, who is still employed with the department, also filed a lawsuit against the department last month. She did not attend the news conference.
Like Dorris, Lim-Watson alleges repeated instances of anti-Asian harassment and discrimination. The lawsuit also claims one instance of physical harassment, in which a Folsom sergeant grabbed her by the legs and dragged her across the ground in front of fellow officers.
Working while on paid leave
One Folsom officer identified for racist behavior in the lawsuits is now on a paid leave of absence and working for his coffee business.
That officer is Matt Stone, who is alleged to have mocked the Asian accent of a fellow officer and participated in the harassment of Knudsen, according to two of the lawsuits filed against the department.
At Wednesday’s news conference, attorney Mary Anne Martin explained how she recently approached Stone at Edgewood Golf Course in Lake Tahoe while he was working for his mobile coffee truck business, Ohana Coffee Co.
Martin said she received an anonymous tip from the department, saying that Stone was on stress leave because of being identified in the lawsuits. Using that information, Martin said she pretended to be a representative for a defunct organization and surveyed Stone for his experience at the golf course.
The incident, which was recorded and posted to Facebook , shows Stone confirming his name, business and that he was on a leave of absence.
“Now that the proverbial white coat has been ripped off, he feels exposed and went crying home because he can’t continue reporting to work, allegedly,” Martin said.
Stone, who served as a public information officer for the department in addition to his duties as an officer, did not respond to a request for comment.
Brainerd confirmed Stone is on a paid leave of absence. She did not give further details, citing privacy laws.
Per the Folsom Police Department policy manual , Stone needed to receive written approval from Hillman before engaging in outside employment.
Brainerd did not respond when asked if Stone received that approval, saying the city does not comment on “personnel matters.”
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