My name is Dana and I am a retired Federal Agent and a US Coast Guard veteran. My story is probably not exceptional but in line with other women in law enforcement who chose to have a family. In 1996, I had completed my basic training for Special Agent school and was assigned to the Mexican border–Yuma, Arizona, US Customs, to be exact. I was the third woman on a undercover narcotics task force with about 30 members from federal, state and local law enforcement. At the age of 31, I was divorced and female in a predominantly male career.
For years, I had fought endometriosis and was battling infertility. My doctor informed me that if I wanted to have a child I had better start now. I was in a relationship but still not ready for that commitment. I opted not to use fertility drugs and let things happen as they may. Nine months later, I did indeed become pregnant. I was so surprised, excited and so many emotions I cannot explain. I thought, “How am I going to explain this to my bosses?!”
There are no policies in place for pregnant Federal Agents. I only heard of rumors from other women in other agencies. We had three pregnant US Customs agents in the state of Arizona, me included, and the Special Agent in Charge said we all had to work and “stand our duty,” which meant that we had to cover our 24-hour watch at the border. That meant being up all night making arrests, handling the drugs and transporting the prisoners from the border.
I did reach out to the Federal Academy for policy for female agents but to no avail. I asked my boss to take me off the duty roster and was told that if I wanted off the roster I had to find someone in the office to replace me and he would not make someone do it. In my ninth month, I finally found an agent to replace me on the roster.
When I was 6 months pregnant, I realized that if I stayed with Customs, I would never leave the border because nobody wanted to work there. So I looked for another agency to work for in California near my partner’s parents home so that his mother could help me with my son. I flew out to the US Department of Commerce’s Export Enforcement Office for an interview and could only take one day off so that I did not use up my sick or annual leave. The Special Agent hired me pregnant but don’t think he was doing me any favors. He wanted me to be in the office right after my due date. He then wanted me to go to Washington, DC, for training for two weeks right after my delivery.I was pressed to either stay on the border or take the job in CA and spend no time with my son and recuperating from delivery. I was very stressed!
I had a difficult delivery and an emergency C-section because of the endometriosis. I had saved up at least two months of sick and annual leave combined and was able to stay home with my son and to recoup from the C-section, then moved to California to take my new job with the Department of Commerce. I had used up all my sick and annual leave and was starting all over again.
This year, 2018, is the 25th anniversary of the Family Medical Leave Act. I was sickened to read about two Kentucky police officers just this past year settle a lawsuit because they had to work while pregnant. It’s been almost 20 years since I gave birth to my son and women are still facing these hurdles in law enforcement!
