Busting the Brass Ceiling: How a Heroic Female Cop Changed the Face of Policing

Fanchon dreamed of becoming a top cop. She knew she was going places. She had already made a mark in the Army. Why not try a career in law enforcement? In 1948, she joined the LAPD, sure her efforts and talent would be rewarded. Instead, despite long hours and high achievement ratings, she—like all the other women—was not allowed to promote. It got worse from there.

Over the years, the tenacious police officer tried to challenge the increasingly discriminatory agenda from within. Then she went to the press. When those efforts failed to effect change, she realized there was one last way to try and prevent the LAPD from tacitly becoming an all-white boy’s club. Someone would need to take them to court, and that someone might as well be her.

Would a lawsuit be the tipping point in establishing equality within the police force? And once Fanchon sued the department, what repercussions would she face for breaking its codes of silence and loyalty?