Story Archive

A Matter of Degree

In 2010, Rick Flori, a former police sergeant in Queensland, Australia, reported to the police Crime and Misconduct Commission that a female officer performed a ...well... sex act on a male colleague in a marked patrol car. Flori later sued three supervisors, claiming he “suffered reprisal” for his report when he should have been protected by the Whistleblowers Protection Act. But a judge has ruled against Flori, saying that the law didn’t apply, because “the sexual act [in question] is not sufficient, in my view, to raise ‘misconduct’ to the level of ‘official misconduct’” defined in the law. The Australian Associated Press summarized the ruling by saying “The decision comes as a major blow” to Flori’s lawsuit. (RC/Australian AP) ...Well that sucks.