This federal civil rights lawsuit, filed in the Western District of Washington, names the City of Lake Stevens and its police department as defendants in a wide-ranging complaint alleging systemic constitutional violations against Gina Bloom, a domestic violence and sexual assault survivor.
The complaint, brought under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, asserts that Lake Stevens police officers engaged in a pattern of misconduct—retaliating against Bloom for protected speech, mishandling rape and abuse investigations, and collaborating with court actors to undermine her custodial rights. Rather than serve the interests of justice or protect vulnerable parties, the police department allegedly became an active participant in suppressing Bloom’s voice and obstructing her access to legal remedies.
Among the most serious allegations is the department’s failure to respond appropriately to a 911 call made by Bloom’s 11-year-old son in March 2025, reporting threats from his father. Despite legal mandates, officers refused to interview the child or report the incident to Child Protective Services. This followed a broader pattern in which Bloom, despite being protected under multiple Domestic Violence Protection Orders (DVPOs), was treated as a suspect, not a victim.
The lawsuit also details the department’s mishandling of a 2020 rape allegation, in which officers delayed witness interviews, failed to preserve critical video evidence, and ultimately sabotaged the viability of the criminal case. These failures were compounded by alleged Brady violations: officers withheld exculpatory evidence, obstructed Bloom’s access to public records, and selectively released sensitive materials to third parties while denying her discovery rights.
The suit further alleges that Lake Stevens maintained a discriminatory culture in which women, especially mothers, who reported abuse were dismissed, discredited, or treated as adversaries. Meanwhile, abusers were allegedly shielded or supported, including through inappropriate legal coaching by police officers.
By filing this action, Bloom seeks to hold both the City and its officers accountable for violations of her First, Fourth, and Fourteenth Amendment rights. This case challenges not only individual misconduct but also the policies and institutional culture that enabled it, arguing that the City of Lake Stevens has fostered a dangerous environment for victims of gender-based violence.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Complaint details pattern of false charges, ignored child abuse, and systemic harassment
SEATTLE, WA — October 2025 — A Washington woman has filed a sweeping federal civil rights lawsuit against the City of Lake Stevens and its Police Department, alleging officers retaliated, defamed, and criminalized her after she reported being raped by her ex-husband and sought police protection.
Filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, the 93-page complaint describes a multi-year campaign of retaliation, constitutional violations, and deliberate indifference to child abuse—an alleged pattern that mirrors experiences shared by other local women and even Lake Stevens officers themselves.
Alleged Retaliation and Civil Rights Violations
According to the filing, the Plaintiff reported a violent sexual assault in February 2020. The suspect was arrested but the investigation was abruptly closed without charges, follow-up, or victim support. Over the next two years, she repeatedly reported stalking and child abuse, but officers allegedly refused to make mandatory reports to Child Protective Services.
When she filed a formal misconduct complaint against the department in 2021, retaliation escalated. Officers allegedly labeled her “mentally unstable,” blocked media inquiries, and later pursued a false criminal charge that was dismissed only after the Plaintiff produced her own exculpatory evidence.
By 2022, despite multiple reports of child sexual abuse, officers allegedly failed to notify CPS, shared disclosures with the alleged abuser, and told the mother they “couldn’t help, it’s a civil matter.” Days later, she lost custody of her children due to the absence of police documentation that LSPD itself had refused to generate.
Broader Pattern of Misconduct
The lawsuit cites dozens of similar complaints from Lake Stevens residents alleging retaliation and bias against domestic-violence survivors.
It also references whistleblower statements from within the department, alleging suppression of misconduct complaints and retaliation against officers who spoke out.
Together, these accounts describe an agency that “protects itself at all costs ,even when that means punishing victims, silencing officers, and obstructing justice.”
Legal Claims and Remedy Sought
The Plaintiff, represented by Carnation Legal Services LLC, seeks damages and injunctive relief for:
• First Amendment retaliation
• Malicious prosecution
• Equal protection and due process violations
• Civil conspiracy under 42 U.S.C. § 1985
• Failure to protect and defamation
“This isn’t just one woman’s story,” said a spokesperson for Carnation Legal. “It’s a case study in how a local police department can weaponize power against those it’s sworn to protect. We are asking the federal court to intervene, to stop the retaliation, protect survivors, and restore the rule of law in Lake Stevens.”
Case: [Bloom v. City of Lake Stevens, et al.]
Court: U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington
Filed, Amended: October 2025
Contact: Carnation Legal Services LLC
E. LA@carnationlegal.com