Former Portland Police Sergeant Doug Justus, a Portland police officer, claims that the City of Portland forced him to retire because he talked to Dan Rather and “America’s Most Wanted” about sex trafficking, child prostitution and the city’s inadequate resources to handle the problems.

According to the complaint, on or about April 2010, Dan Rather Reports interviewed Justus regarding matters of human and child trafficking. During the interview, management personnel such as captains and lieutenants were in the room observing what Justus said.

After the interview, Commander Mike Crebs yelled at Justus for using a swear word during the interview and said that it needs to be edited. Justus explained that he used words relevant to child prostitution cases.

Following the interview, Dan Rather asked Justus to take him and the film crew to see local strip clubs, and an assistant police chief, now retired, insisted that a lieutenant chaperone Justus, lest he “embarrass the city.”

Justus says he objected to the chaperone, because “it was degrading,” and that the commander replied, “You can go on your own but if you embarrass the city, you will be in big trouble.”

The “Dan Rather Reports” episode about sex trafficking in Portland aired in May 2010.

“The show’s description summarized the episode as a special report about the sex trade and sex trafficking, especially involving children and how Portland police feel understaffed and overwhelmed with the widespread crimes involving young girls being sold for sex,” Justus says in his complaint. “The focus was on how Portland is becoming a major center for child trafficking and juveniles are being forced every day to sell their bodies.”

“Soon thereafter, plaintiff learned that the chief’s office and the mayor’s office were very upset.” Justus says that “on the other hand,” another police lieutenant “said it was the best show he had seen dealing with human and child sex trafficking.”

In August 2010, Justus says, he was assigned to a new supervisor, defendant Lt. Rachel Andrews, who “started harassing and berating” him.

The next month, Justus says, he was set to travel to Washington D.C. to meet with John Walsh, the host of “America’s Most Wanted,” when Assistant Chief Eric Hendricks told him not to go.

Justus claims he was ordered not to discuss the sex trafficking case that “America’s Most Wanted” wanted to talk about.

Justus says he insisted that the footage had been examined by prosecutors who had concluded that the episode would not interfere with the ongoing missing child investigation.

He says Hendricks reversed his decision shortly and allowed him to fly to Washington, but had him chaperoned by a police lieutenant so he “wouldn’t say anything that would embarrass the Portland Police Bureau.” Justus claims he was ordered not to discuss the sex trafficking case that “America’s Most Wanted” wanted to talk about.

In December 2010, Justus says, police Internal Affairs investigated him after he expressed interest in a position in the Vice and Drugs Division. He says the investigation was based on Andrews’ earlier complaints.

At that point, Justus says, Assistant Chief Hendricks told him that “no matter what the I.A. investigation shows, you will be transferred to the central graveyard shift as a street sergeant where you will spend the rest of your career.”

Justus resigned on Jan. 13, 2011, after 29 years in the department.

He seeks lost wages and punitive damages for defamation, intentional interference with economic relationship, wrongful firing, retaliation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, due process violations, and whistle-blower violations.

Justus, who worked in the Vice Unit on human and child sex trafficking cases, was an officer with the Portland Police Bureau for 25 years. Over the course of his career, he received over 50 recommendations and six awards, including Officer of the Year, in addition to countless letters from citizens and victims whose lives he positively impacted.