Does the Sherwood Police Department have a double standard?

That's what the attorney for a fired officer is asking after Beverly Hughes lost her job July 24th.  Two other male officers remain on the job, after one was accused of receiving oral sex in his patrol car, and the other of having sex while on the job.

Detective Hughes worked with the department for about 14 years before she was dismissed, and she has filed a discrimination claim with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.  She was diagnosed with breast cancer in February 2008 and said the discrimination continued as she battled the disease.

"Right after I lost my hair, I wore a scarf to work.  It was a patriotic red, white and blue scarf.  The Chief (Kel Nicholson) told me I could not wear scarves," Hughes said.  She said it was because they were not in the dress code.

She returned to work the next day, only to learn Nicholson had changed his mind and would allow scarves except for red or blue ones, because they are "gang colors."

After that, Hughes said she was assigned to go to a home where a body was found, but the body had been there for an extended time and there were "millions" of flies.  Hughes said she worried about her compromised immune system asked to be re-assigned.  She said after that, other officers accused her of being a "finagler."

Hughes said one of her colleagues, Sgt. Jerry Bradford, related a sexually explicit dream he had about Hughes to her.  She says he asked her to come outside, then told her he had a dream where he was "f_____ the s___ out of her" and described the depth of the penetration.  Hughes said she repeated the story to her boyfriend, who is a fellow officer.

Hughes filed a sexual harassment complaint about the incident.  The department launched an internal investigation.

During the course of the investigation, Hughes and Bradford took polygraph exams.  During her exam, Hughes questioned the relevancy of one of the questions she was asked.   Her superiors said she refused to answer the question and fired her for insubordination.

Her attorney, Robert Newcomb, says her punishment is an example of the double standard that exists for men and women in the Sherwood Police Department.

He points to the suspensions of two officers in 2006.  Officer Darin Furhman was suspended in July 2006 for violating standards of conduct.  He was accused of receiving oral sex and having sexual contact with a woman in his patrol car.

In October 2006, Officer Richard Harper was suspended for 30 days for engaging in sexual activity in uniform and while on duty.  Chief Nicholson wrote what he is guilty of is a disgrace to the department.

The two suspensions are in no way related to Hughes, however, Newcomb points to them as an example of a double standard.

Newcomb says officers should be more sensitive and behave appropriately in the work place.  Hughes says all she wants is her job back.

Hughes has been fired twice before.  Once, the Civil Service Commission reinstated her and in 2000, she sued and a judge reinstated her after a suspension period.

The department maintains Hughes was fired for insubordination and had no comment about Fuhrman or Harper.