Excessive Farce

But the gun belt, which her doctor had already told her not to wear, was uncomfortable. By the end of the day, she decided that she wasn't going to work unless she was given a light-duty assignment. The following morning she informed her supervisor of her decision. That afternoon Kelly called her and demanded to know why she hadn't come to work. She requested a light-duty assignment, but Kelly insisted she either return to work or admit that her pregnancy prevented her from working and take a demotion. "You need to tell me you can't work," he demanded over the telephone, "because if you can't wear a gun belt, you can't work."

Feeling pressured, Feliciano actually finished out the week on the job. But by the weekend, she had decided, once and for all, that motherhood had to come first. So she agreed to finish out her pregnancy on unpaid leave. But Feliciano didn't go quietly. She quit the PBA, hired a new attorney, and filed a discrimination complaint with the EEOC. On November 5, Feliciano's fourth child, David, was born.

For three months now, Feliciano has been taking care of David and her three other children at her Boynton Beach home. Sometime later this month, she plans to return to her old job as a police officer at Santaluces. She may not be able to, however. After she left, Kelly assigned someone else to her post at the school.

A final irony. Feliciano's replacement, a male officer, injured his back in the line of duty. He was once responsible for maintaining security, breaking up fights, and making arrests when necessary. But because of his back injury, he's been given a light-duty assignment. He still stands guard over the school and receives the same pay, but he's prohibited from making arrests. Feliciano requested the same assignment when she was pregnant. Unlike her male counterpart, she was turned down flat.

"He didn't have to resign or anything else," Feliciano says. "And he's sitting in my office!