A policewoman was found guilty of gross misconduct for fabricating a story about transphobia in the workplace during an appraisal interview, according to a report.
Sergeant Sarah Srivastava falsely claimed that a transgender officer had experienced discrimination at workplace from colleagues, reported MailOnline.
Srivastava added that she had stepped in to challenge co-workers’ behaviour towards the officer.
The disciplinary panel ruled that Srivastava had breached three rules of professional behaviour and was guilty of grave misconduct.
The West Midlands Police’s attorney condemned Srivastava during the misconduct hearing for ”discrediting the police service’ and ‘undermining public confidence’ in the force.
According to the report, Srivastava lied during the interview as she expected to get promoted into the serious organised crime unit after 27 years of flawless service.
During the interview, she was asked for an example of how she considered a range of values and needs when making a decision that affects a group of people.
Responding to the question, the officer claimed that she had challenged a colleague who had made a transphobic remark to an officer and then got them to apologise.
But when her interviewer, a detective inspector, showed up to her place of employment and insisted on speaking to the transgender cop in person, she was caught red-handed.
A terrified Srivastava attempted to stop the detective from escalating the case, warning that she had’slightly embellished’ the story during the interaction.
However, after further interrogation, she finally admitted that she had made up the entire story.
Following the hearing she was given a final written warning.
“I regret lying, it was silly. I just got caught up in the moment,” she was quoted as saying by MailOnline.
