BERRIEN COUNTY, Mich. -- A sex discrimination lawsuit has been filed against the Berrien County Sheriff's Office by two male sergeants who claim they were passed over for promotion to detective in favor of a less qualified woman.

Both current sheriff, Chuck Heit, and his predecessor, Paul Bailey, are named as defendants.

The sergeants suing, Thomas Dyer and Roger Johnson, claim the only reason they were passed over was because of their sex, violating their constitutional rights.

The department's attorneys argue Sheriff Bailey created a new "deputy investigator" position on the detective unit specifically to be filled by a woman, when the only other female detective retired in 2020.

ABC57 will update this story as it unfolds.

You can read the lawsuit documents below: