The union representing New York State Troopers has filed a lawsuit claiming the State Police wrongfully fired a decorated female officer in a retaliatory act marked by gender discrimination.
Filed on behalf of former Trooper Jamie R. Kasper, the legal challenge accuses the State Police of ignoring its own drug testing policies and enforcing a dangerous double standard against women in its ranks.
Kasper, a U.S. Army veteran and former member of Troop F in the Hudson Valley, was terminated in February following a drug test that her union says was flawed and unfairly interpreted. The New York State Troopers Police Benevolent Association is demanding her reinstatement with full back pay, the return of her police certification, and the exclusion of the disputed drug test from any future proceedings.
“The facts are clear that in this case, State Police leaders manipulated due process and disregarded their own internal policies to take vindictive and targeted actions against a veteran, mother, and dedicated public servant,” said Charles W. Murphy, president of the Troopers PBA. “The treatment of Trooper Kasper sends the absolute wrong message to individuals whose service this state desperately needs.”
Kasper, who served the State Police for eight years without any prior disciplinary history, tested positive for a prohibited substance in a random drug screening. According to the lawsuit, subsequent testing of urine and hair samples came back negative. Expert testimony during her hearing linked the initial result to possible contamination from unregulated dietary supplements.
The lawsuit alleges the State Police violated its drug testing rules by relying on an improper method for the initial sample. It also states that after the first disciplinary hearing was adjourned, the agency secretly retested the original sample using the correct procedure and then used that result to justify her firing—despite a prior agreement that no further testing would occur.
During an internal interrogation, Kasper was also pressured to disclose private medical information under threat of discipline, a move the lawsuit suggests was part of an orchestrated effort to dismiss her.
Kasper’s husband, also a former trooper, previously filed a lawsuit against the State Police after losing his law enforcement certification. The complaint describes a broader pattern of retaliation tied to that legal action.
“For nearly two decades, I worked hard to demonstrate my ability to do the job, and more than performed the duties expected of me,” Kasper said. “All I’m asking for is fair, equal treatment and to be able to return to the work that I love – protecting and serving the people of New York.”
The union’s filing highlights a striking comparison: a 2019 case involving a male senior investigator who tested positive for a banned substance traced to an over-the-counter supplement. In that instance, the agency confirmed the contamination and imposed no disciplinary action—raising questions about selective enforcement and gender bias.
“The State Police broke their own rules, ignored their own agreement, and deliberately denied Trooper Kasper the fair hearing that she not only deserved but was entitled to,” Murphy said. “She was treated differently than another member of the State Police who is a man and faced very similar circumstances. That couldn’t be more telling.”
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