In December, Washington State Patrol staff allegedly created an AI-generated video that depicted Pearson and another uniformed male trooper kissing on a roadside. An automated voiceover states, “this is SWAT training, no homo.”
A Washington State Patrol trooper has filed a lawsuit against the agency, claiming he faced longstanding and wide-ranging harassment due to his sexual orientation. The plaintiff, Collin Overend Pearson, said he reached a breaking point when the abuse escalated, with his colleagues allegedly using artificial intelligence-powered tools to generate inappropriate “deepfake”-type images.
According to The News Tribune, Pearson is a Pierce County resident who identifies as a gay man. In court documents, Pearson says that he was subjected to “repeated instances of discriminatory and unconstitutional conduct by WSP and its officers.” Pearson’s claims are notable, in that he has spent nearly 20 years with the Washington State Patrol.
Attorneys for Pearson argue that the harassment was so pervasive that it damaged their client’s professional reputation. In response to the lawsuit, a spokesperson for the Washington State Patrol said that the agency cannot comment on pending litigation but remains supportive of its employees.
“The Washington State Patrol believes that all employees have the right to work in an environment where skills, abilities, and dignity are valued and that is free from bias, harassment, and intimidation,” WSP spokesman Chris Loftis said in a statement.
Mark Conrad, an attorney representing Pearson, told the News Tribune that his client filed a legal claim last year with the expectation that it would put an end to the allegedly harassment and misconduct. “Instead of stopping,” Conrad said, “the conduct escalated.”
In December, for instance, Washington State Patrol staff allegedly created an AI-generated video that depicted Pearson and another uniformed male trooper kissing on a roadside. An automated voiceover states, “this is SWAT training, no homo,” with the lawsuit emphasizing that the term “no homo” could be construed as insinuating that “homosexuality is inferior or insulting.”
Conrad, for his part, said that the video looks real—so real that Pearson fears his professional reputation has suffered as a result. Pearson made the “very difficult” decision to sue in response to the video’s circulation, which the trooper viewed as something of a “last straw.”
“This can’t be tolerated in the workplace,” Conrad said.
Conrad emphasized that his client made a deliberate decision to include his full legal name, and not just his initials, in the court filing. Pearson’s priority, Conrad told the Tribune, is to “ensure that other people don’t have to face the environment that he’s currently facing.”
The lawsuit describes several other acts of alleged discrimination. Pearson had, for instance, applied for a law enforcement position in Des Moines, Iowa, but had his offer rescinded after a Washington State Patrol captain called the hiring chief.
Pearson was also allegedly investigated after complaints indicated that he had “threatened” patrons while working off-duty at a Tacoma-area gay bar. However, Conrad stated that Pearson never worked and that bar—and that a later investigation found the report was unfounded.
Sources
An AI deepfake was final straw for a Washington State Trooper. He’s suing
Trooper sues Washington State Patrol over AI deepfake video, harassment
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