A Hartford police detective who was demoted after complaining that his supervisor denied his request for time off to care for a sick child has filed a federal lawsuit against the city.

In his lawsuit filed Monday in U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut, Samuel Cruz said a sergeant supervisor denied him time off for his child, allegedly saying that he “did not care that the child was sick.” The lawsuit claims the sergeant also failed to submit Cruz's overtime card for proper payment for hours he had worked.

Soon after telling a lieutenant about the events, Cruz said that supervisor punished him with a transfer that hurt his income. He said the supervisor transferred him from the Drug Enforcement Agency Unit to the Major Crimes Unit, which paid no overtime.