Attorney: Discrimination Complaint ‘Very Large Part’ of Cop’s Firing

officer who was terminated last month, John Bueno, filed a discrimination complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in November, 2011, Journal & Topics Newspapers reported.

Bueno currently is going through an appeal process with an arbitrator to determine whether the termination was justified.

Bueno was terminated at the beginning of March following an internal investigation of complaints about Bueno and another officer, Andy Contreras. Journal & Topics Newspapers has reported those complaints involved an alleged beating that took place either inside the Des Plaines police station or in the parking lot at the station.

Richard Reimer, Bueno’s attorney in this case, said it would likely be several months before the hearing occurs, as they’re still in the process of selecting an arbitrator with the city.

Reimer did not represent Bueno with the discrimination complaint he filed with the EEOC; he is representing him for the police union in the dismissal. Reimer said he believed a large part of why the city fired Bueno was because he filed a complaint against Deputy Chief Rich Rozkuszka.

“There’s a lot of overlap between what the EEOC will be investigating and ultimately what transpires before the arbitrator in the grievance arbitration,” Reimer said. “I believe one of the major reasons [Bueno] was fired was because he was retaliated against because he filed a complaint against commander Rozkuszka.”

Messages left for the private attorney representing the city in the case were not returned at publication time.

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