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A Miami Beach homicide detective will get his job back and back pay after he successfully argued that he tested positive for cocaine last year because he had used a sexual aid cream a few days before the drug test.
Detective Reinaldo Casas won his case in front of an arbitrator this week, after filing a grievance over his firing by the Miami Beach Police Department following his positive drug test in January 2013.
Casas said in the case that he had never knowingly used cocaine. He said he was able to pinpoint the possible cause to a “sexual aid cream” a friend gave him. “My girlfriend had applied the substance to enhance our sexual intercourse in the days prior to my drug screening," he explained.
Casas testified at a hearing that he got the cream from Idilio Godinez, a close friend of his. Godinez testified that he got the Vaseline-like substance from an “old Cuban guy.” Casas said the cream would help with his erectile dysfunction.
Arbitration documents said the cream was tested and found to contain cocaine. The city argued that it still had just cause to fire Casas because his story was “unbelievable.”
“As a police officer, Casas should have been aware of what he was putting into his body," the city said.
The arbitrator called the story “highly suspect” but ultimately found that “there is no evidence in the record to show that the grievant was aware the cream contained a controlled substance” when Casas used it.
The arbitrator’s ruling said Casas could return to duty and receive back pay as well.
Detective Reinaldo Casas won his case in front of an arbitrator this week, after filing a grievance over his firing by the Miami Beach Police Department following his positive drug test in January 2013.
Casas said in the case that he had never knowingly used cocaine. He said he was able to pinpoint the possible cause to a “sexual aid cream” a friend gave him. “My girlfriend had applied the substance to enhance our sexual intercourse in the days prior to my drug screening," he explained.
Casas testified at a hearing that he got the cream from Idilio Godinez, a close friend of his. Godinez testified that he got the Vaseline-like substance from an “old Cuban guy.” Casas said the cream would help with his erectile dysfunction.
Arbitration documents said the cream was tested and found to contain cocaine. The city argued that it still had just cause to fire Casas because his story was “unbelievable.”
“As a police officer, Casas should have been aware of what he was putting into his body," the city said.
The arbitrator called the story “highly suspect” but ultimately found that “there is no evidence in the record to show that the grievant was aware the cream contained a controlled substance” when Casas used it.
The arbitrator’s ruling said Casas could return to duty and receive back pay as well.
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