Racial Discrimination – Labor Relations Information System

Sergeant’s $1.9 Million Verdict Reduced To $2,700

September 20, 2019

| Categories: First Amendment, Public Safety Labor News, Racial Discrimination

Pennsylvania State Police Sergeant David Holt II filed suit against the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and four of his supervisors. Holt alleged multiple instances of race discrimination and retaliation in violation of Title VII of the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act, and contrary to the guarantees of the Equal Protection Clause and the First Amendment. A jury returned a partial verdict, thereby necessitating a second trial. Holt prevailed on several of…

LAPD Officers Lose $4 Million Discrimination Judgment On Appeal

January 26, 2018

| Categories: Public Safety Labor News, Racial Discrimination

George Diego and Allan Corrales are Hispanic police officers working for the Los Angeles Police Department. Diego and Corrales were involved in a fatal shooting in March 2010. In that incident, they fired at a person they believed was threatening them with a gun, but who turned out to be a young, unarmed African-American man who was later described by his family as autistic. The shot fired by Corrales…

Evidence, Not Speculation, Needed For Race Discrimination Claim

December 26, 2017

| Categories: Discrimination, Public Safety Labor News, Racial Discrimination

Timothy Rivers, an African-American, was hired by the Macon, Georgia Police Department in February 2010. Rivers was certified as an Explosive Ordnance Device K-9 handler, and had been assigned to partner with EOD K-9 Arco in August 2013. On January 1, 2014, the City of Macon and Bibb County were consolidated to form a unified governing body known as Macon-Bibb County. As a result of the consolidation, the Macon…

Boston Police ‘Hair Test’ Back For Another Round

March 29, 2017

| Categories: Drug Testing, Public Safety Labor News, Racial Discrimination

The continuing litigation saga involving eight Boston police officers terminated for failing the Police Department’s “hair test” for drugs appears to have yet more life left in it. When their hair tested positive for controlled substances, the officers sued, claiming that the hair drug test was racially discriminatory. After the officers lost an initial round in a federal trial court, the claim was heard by the First Circuit Court…

Sergeant Wins $620K Race Discrimination Claim

March 31, 2016

| Categories: Public Safety Labor News, Racial Discrimination

Sergeant David Bonenberger, who is white, was a long-time employee of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. In September 2010, the Department posted a job opening for Assistant Academy Director of the city’s police academy. Upon learning of the opening, Bonenberger contacted a lieutenant “to get a feel for” whether he might be eligible for the position, despite not meeting the minimum qualifications of three years of supervisory experience…

Boston PD Rank-Ordered Promotions Held Discriminatory

March 31, 2016

| Categories: Promotional Exams, Public Safety Labor News, Racial Discrimination

Ten black police sergeants sued the City of Boston under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, alleging that the multiple-choice examinations the Department administered in 2005 and 2008 to select which sergeants to promote to the rank of lieutenant had a racially disparate impact on minority candidates and were insufficiently job-related to pass muster under Title VII. A trial court recently found the City’s practices to…

‘Classic Stray Remark’ Cannot Support Discrimination Claim

December 15, 2015

| Categories: Discrimination, Harassment, Public Safety Labor News, Racial Discrimination

There is a definite disconnect between the perception of sexual harassment law and what the current state of the law actually is. Many believe that overtly racist or sexist workplace comments easily support Title VII harassment claims. Owing to a number of Supreme Court decisions narrowing the law considerably, that belief is rarely accurate. A recent case out of Ithaca, New York illustrates this principle. Mark Hassan, of Middle…

PCP Not The Same As Alcohol For Purposes Of Race Discrimination Claim

January 2, 2015

| Categories: Drug Testing, Public Safety Labor News, Racial Discrimination

Following his arrest for Driving Under the Influence, Antjuan Proctor entered a “back-to-work agreement” in lieu of termination from the Fairfax County, Virginia Fire and Rescue Department. Under the Agreement, Proctor was required to abstain from all mood-altering substances and submit to random, unannounced drug and alcohol testing. Less than two months after he entered the Agreement, Proctor tested positive for the illegal drug phencyclidine (PCP). Proctor challenged his…

Afghani Police Officer Applicant Loses Lawsuit

August 5, 2011

| Categories: Hiring Practices, Public Safety Labor News, Racial Discrimination

After the City of Minneapolis did not hire Hamid Amini for a position with the Minneapolis Police Department, Amini, who was born in Afghanistan, filed suit, alleging that the City discriminated against him based on his race, color, and national origin. Amini argued that he satisfied the City’s criteria to be placed on the eligible list and was ranked second among the 12 candidates certified to the hiring decision-maker….

Corrections Officer Loses Reverse Discrimination Claim

July 26, 2011

| Categories: Discrimination, Promotions, Public Safety Labor News, Racial Discrimination

James Finley works as a corrections officer for Camden County, New Jersey. Finley brought a reverse discrimination against the County, arguing that in several rounds of promotions, the County declined to promote him because he was Caucasian. Finley argued that the County systematically promoted less-qualified non-Caucasian candidates. A federal trial court examined the evidence and dismissed Finley’s claim. Starting with promotions that occurred in March 2006 and March 2007,…

Calling Officer A ‘Pain’ Not Gender Or Race Discrimination

July 25, 2011

| Categories: Gender Discrimination, Public Safety Labor News, Racial Discrimination, Retaliation

Sharon Davis, an African-American, was employed as a police officer with the Newark, New Jersey Police Department. Davis filed a seven-count lawsuit against the City, alleging that she was retaliated against for raising issues of racial and gender discrimination. The federal Third Circuit Court of Appeals rejected all of Davis’s claims. The Court held that, “even accepting Davis’s allegations, she has failed to claim that she was retaliated against…

Court Allows Hostile Work Environment Claim To Proceed

March 1, 2011

| Categories: Discipline, Harassment, Public Safety Labor News, Racial Discrimination

In the wake of a series of Supreme Court decisions tightening up the standard as to what amounts to racial or sexual harassment, it has been more and more difficult for public safety officers to successfully bring harassment claims. And so it was a bit of a surprise to see one of the more conservative courts in the country, the federal Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, reverse the dismissal…

Residency Requirement Violates Title VII

November 1, 2010

| Categories: Public Safety Labor News, Racial Discrimination, Residency Requirements

The North Hudson Regional Fire and Rescue (NHRFR) is a consolidated municipal fire department and political subdivision of the State of New Jersey that serves several communities in North Hudson County. In New Jersey, civil service positions such as firefighter are subject to the examination process administered by the New Jersey Department of Personnel. In order to take the examination, a candidate must also live in one of the…

The High Hurdle Of Showing That Employees Are Similarly Situated For Discrimination Purposes

November 1, 2010

| Categories: Criminal Issues, Public Safety Labor News, Racial Discrimination, Termination

Calvin Chism, an African-American, was employed for 16 years as a firefighter in Forrest City, Arkansas. Chism had been arrested several times for various charges during his tenure with the Department, including arrests for third degree battery in 1992, for assault in 1994, for aggravated assault in 2003, for two counts of third-degree battery in 2005, for two counts of domestic battery in 2005, and for harassing communications in…

Supreme Court Allows Chicago Fire Department Race Discrimination Lawsuit To Proceed

October 1, 2010

| Categories: Hiring Practices, Public Safety Labor News, Racial Discrimination

In July 1995, the City of Chicago administered a written examination to over 26,000 applicants seeking to serve in the Chicago Fire Department. After scoring the examinations, the City announced that it would begin drawing randomly from the top tier of scorers, i.e., those who scored 89 or above (out of 100), whom the City called “well qualified.” Those drawn from this group would proceed to the next phase…

St. Louis Fire Chief Refuses To Use Promotional List, Loses Job

September 1, 2010

| Categories: Constructive Discharge, Insubordination, Promotions, Public Safety Labor News, Racial Discrimination

Sherman George began his employment in 1967 with the St. Louis Fire Department, and in 1999 became the first African-American to serve as the City’s fire chief. The Department is under the Department of Public Safety. The fire chief is appointed by and reports directly to the director of public safety, who is appointed by and reports directly to the mayor. Promotions within the City’s civil service system, including…

African-American Officer Cannot Sue Because No-Beards Regulation Treats Him More Favorabl

August 1, 2010

| Categories: Grooming Codes, Public Safety Labor News, Racial Discrimination

Eric Antrum, an African-American, is a Special Police Officer employed by the Metro Transit Police Division of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. The Division’s policy on facial hair provides that officers should be clean shaven, but makes an exception for employees diagnosed by a dermatologist as having a condition known as pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB). PFB, an inflammatory reaction to shaving, disproportionately impacts African-American men. On May 11, 2005,…

Firefighter Decision Pits Hispanic Against African-American Applicants

August 1, 2010

| Categories: Hiring Practices, Public Safety Labor News, Racial Discrimination, Residency Requirements

The North Hudson Regional Fire and Rescue (NHRFR) is a consolidated fire department in New Jersey. In New Jersey, civil service positions such as firefighter are subject to the examination process administered by the New Jersey Department of Personnel. In order to be placed on the NHRFR’s hiring list, a candidate must also live in one of the municipalities served by the NHRFR. As of July 2008, the NHRFR…

Race Discrimination Lawsuit Arising Out Of No-Beards Policy Allowed To Proceed

June 1, 2010

| Categories: Grooming Codes, Public Safety Labor News, Racial Discrimination

Amon Simon is an African-American male with a permanent form of the skin condition pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB). Simon joined the Harris County, Texas Sheriff’s Office in February 2004 as a detention officer. In October 2005, Simon graduated from the Sheriff’s Office Academy and returned to work as a deputy at the Harris County jail. In 2005, the Department had a no-beards policy that allowed an exception if the employee…

Changing Bathroom Locks Averts Fire Department Discrimination Claim

May 1, 2010

| Categories: Gender Discrimination, Public Safety Labor News, Racial Discrimination

In 2002, 204 firefighters and a group known as the Vulcan Pioneers of New Jersey brought claims alleging race and gender discrimination in the workplace of the Newark, New Jersey Fire Department. By 2008, only two firefighters remained in the lawsuit, and were appealing the dismissal of their claims to the federal Third Circuit Court of Appeals. The Court’s decision focused on the claims of Jacqueline Jones, an African-American…

Jury Finds Port Authority Discriminates Against Asian Police Officers

March 1, 2010

| Categories: Discrimination, Promotions, Public Safety Labor News, Racial Discrimination

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is an agency created by agreement between the states of New York and New Jersey to develop transportation facilities in the New York metropolitan area. The Port Authority's 13 facilities are policed by the Port Authority's Public Safety Department. The Department's promotional process requires officers to have served two years as an officer or detective as of the date of…

Treatment Of Other Firefighters Bolsters African-American Firefighter’s Discrimination Claim

February 1, 2010

| Categories: Discrimination, Gender Discrimination, Promotions, Public Safety Labor News, Racial Discrimination

Tiffanye Wesley is a firefighter with Arlington County, Virginia. After several years’ experience riding a fire truck, serving as a training center instructor and in other administrative roles, Wesley began the process of competing within the Department for the position of captain. Although she met all of the minimum objective criteria to be eligible for promotion, and had twice passed both a written test and an experiential assessment designed…

Mississippi Police Captain Wins Jury Verdict On Retaliation Claim

February 1, 2010

| Categories: Constructive Discharge, First Amendment, Public Safety Labor News, Racial Discrimination, Retaliation

Cliff Hardy was a captain in the Tupelo, Mississippi Police Department and headed the Department’s internal affairs unit. Robert Hall, an African-American deputy chief, was facing charges for assisting a drunk driving suspect. When the Tupelo City Council held a “town hall” meeting to discuss the issue of race relations with the Police Department, Hardy spoke up in support of Hall, and suggested that Hall had been targeted for…

African-American Officers Lose Challenge To ‘No-Beards’ Policy

January 1, 2010

| Categories: Disability Issues, Grooming Codes, Public Safety Labor News, Racial Discrimination

After researching the issue for some time, the Houston Police Department selected the Scott Promask 40 respirator for all patrol officers. Once it was decided that bearded officers could not use the mask, the Department revised its grooming policy to prohibit beards on any uniformed officer, regardless of his medical condition. Under the revised policy, if a uniformed officer is unable to shave, for medical reasons, he is transferred…

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