Lesbian Cop Snags $10M Payday

A lesbian ex-cop and MMA fighter just dealt a $10 million smackdown to her former police department after enduring what she called a toxic frat-house nightmare of sexism and homophobia. Ashley Cummins, once a decorated officer in California’s National City Police Department, says she was bullied, sidelined, and forced to watch less experienced men leapfrog her in the ranks—just because she didn’t fit the “submissive” mold expected of women in blue.

Cummins’ lawsuit laid bare a culture of harassment that sounds more like a bad episode of “Cops” than a functioning law enforcement agency. Hired in 2018 after eight years with the St. Louis County PD and federal task forces, Cummins quickly realized that being openly lesbian in National City wasn’t going to fly with the good ol’ boys. From 2020 to 2021, she says she was harassed nonstop, denied advancement, and told—along with other female officers—that they had two options to “fit in”: be submissive or sleep with the men.

“This wasn’t just discrimination—it was a complete humiliation of her identity,” said her lawyer, Jeffrey Hogue. Despite her credentials, Cummins was passed over for a K-9 unit job in favor of a far less experienced male officer. Speaking out, she said, was career suicide. “She has applied to numerous departments and has not gotten a single job, or job offer,” her attorney said. “This has really ruined her life.”

The city of National City is predictably fuming over the verdict, calling it “disappointing” and signaling a likely appeal. But let’s be honest—this isn’t just about one city, one cop, or one payout. It’s about an LGBTQ officer being told she had to play by sexist, heteronormative rules or get out. And now, thanks to a jury with a backbone, the department is writing a check it can’t emotionally afford.

For the LGBTQ community, this is a rally cry in the form of a court ruling. We’ve seen too many stories of queer people in uniform being forced out, harassed, or worse. This $10 million verdict sends a bold message: queer folks in law enforcement don’t have to put up with hate just to serve and protect. Cummins may be out of the badge game for now, but she’s taken one massive step forward for every LGBTQ person walking into a precinct with pride—and without apology.