A woman is suing the city of Portland, Oregon, alleging that tear gas deployed by police during summer 2020 demonstrations caused lasting damage to her menstrual health.
Lanora Vasquez’s lawyer, Michael Fuller, filed the civil rights complaint this week in Multnomah County Circuit Court, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported. The lawsuit requests a jury trial, up to $10,000 and a judgement that the city was negligent in its use of tear gas.
“Deploying tear gas is by its very nature a very dangerous activity,” Fuller said.
The city attorney’s office declined to comment on the pending litigation.
Vasquez moved out of her home in Southeast Portland in August 2020 after experiencing months of cramping and irregularities to her menstrual cycle that she said were brought on by tear gas.
Vasquez said about two weeks after Portland police began using tear gas to disperse protesters downtown, going outside caused Vasquez debilitating pain, she said.
Vasquez said she is still experiencing problems with her menstrual cycles.
Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler barred the Portland Police Bureau from using CS gas, one kind of the toxic gas, in September 2020 after being criticized by residents about tear gas seeping into their homes.
Researchers continue to study the effect of tear gas.
Vasquez said she hopes her lawsuit will help those who are experiencing a similar “health puzzle” find the cause of their symptoms and get treatment.
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