(3) Kentucky thru Mississippi: Racial Preferences and Reverse Discrimination against Police, Firefighters and Municipal Employees.

By State and City:

Kentucky (Paducah):
Paducah Police Officer Demoted for Making Light of Ethnicity (Dead Link)

What Paducah police offer Dickie Powers said was: "...without (departmental) change, I would still be in Poland building ships and (the other fellow) would be in shackles picking cotton." It was informal, it was an effort to relieve tension, it was spoken among peers as an honest observation. And he's being sacrificed on the altar of racial political correctness for it! (MSNBC Aug. 98 -- link no longer available.)

Maine (Portland):
Officer suspended for five days for comment (09/30/98 - dead)

"A Portland police officer will serve a five-day suspension for unprofessional conduct for allegedly saying ``Welcome to America'' to two Sudanese teen-agers he had stopped for questioning, Chief Michael Chitwood said. But Chitwood also said Tuesday an internal investigation found no indication Sgt. Joseph Conicelli used racial slurs in dealing with the boys, and that he did not violate their civil rights." (Associated Press, via Boston Globe, 09-30-98)
[former link *http://www.boston.com/dailynews/wirehtml/273/Officer_suspended_for_five_days_for.shtml]

Maryland (Baltimore / Howard County):
Howard Co. Police Face Reverse Bias Suit (07/17/99 - dead link)

The Howard County Police department is being sued for reverse discrimination. Michael S. Matthews alleges in the suit that he was passed over for a police job in 1995 because the department sets tougher hiring standards for European American males over 40, vs. more lenient hiring standards for designated minorities and women.

Matthews' suit for $11 million was filed in U.S. District Court in Baltimore. Women and minorities, he charges, received unfair advantages on police tests, including physical tests and so-called psychometric tests, or personality tests. Mr. Matthews filed his suit as a class-action on behalf of European American male applicants who were not allowed to fairly compete for police jobs with the Howard County department.

Howard County is situated between Washington, DC and Baltimore, MD. The region is heavily democratic, and has a large minority population.

Psychometric Testing: The psychometric tests referenced in Mr. Matthews' suit are the result of pressure from the U.S. Dept. of Justice Office of Civil Rights, and from the U.S. Dept. of Labor, upon police and fire services to "lessen the disparate impact of traditional testing upon certain minorities and women".

These new tests, sometimes called personality tests, have one primary purpose: to generate higher scores for certain minorities and women while at the same time resulting in lower scores for non-minority males relative to the pool of applicants. These programs are being implemented in police and fire departments across the country, and have sparked a number of similar complaints of reverse discrimination. (Based in part on The Washington Post 07/17/99 page B03)
[former link **http://search.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1999-07/17/077l-071799-idx.html]

Maryland (Baltimore):
Black Officer Angry; Promotion Means No More Helicopter Duty! (10/02/98 - dead link)

Black Baltimore Police Officer Robert Richards was under investigation for 18 months for abuse of sick leave. Then, in spite of the investigation into Richards' employment habits, the Baltimore PD promoted him, and Richards filed a "racial discrimination" suit! It seems Richards is ticked off because his promotion (and increased pay) requires him to spend more time in the office, and prevents him from enjoying "helicopter duty". Sheesh! Play the race card much? (MSNBC / WBAL-TV 10/02/98)
[former link: **http://www.msnbc.com/local/WBAL/22909.asp]

Maryland (Montgomery County):
Dept. of Justice Forces Police to Racially Profile Motorists (06/24/00)

Adversity.Net Special Collection. On Jan. 14, 2000 the Mongtomery County Department of Police signed a consent decree with the U.S. Department of Justice in which the police were forced to agree to collect intrusive racial data on all traffic stops -- for an indefinite period. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, this practice constitutes "good" racial profiling.

Background: The NAACP felt that blacks who broke the traffic laws in Montgomery County were being unfairly targeted, so they complained to U.S. DOJ who launched an "investigation".

For 3 years, from 1996 to 1999, the U.S. DOJ investigated Montgomery County Police and could find no evidence of racism or racial harassment. Nonetheless, and quite amazingly, the DOJ then threatened the county with years of law suits and government harassment if the county police did not agree to racially profile all of their traffic stops and report the results to DOJ so DOJ could determine if "too many blacks" were breaking traffic laws in the county. This case constitutes yet another of many dismal episodes in DOJ's history of attempting to create evidence of racism where none exists.
[link: http://www.adversity.net/MontgomeryCountyPolice/racial_profiling.htm]

RELATED STORY:

Maryland (Montgomery County): Montgomery Police Ticket Blacks at Higher Rate (12/3/99)
According to the Washington Post today "Two sources familiar with the [Department of Justice] findings, announced to Montgomery officials by Assistant Attorney General Bill Lann Lee, said the ... investigators found no evidence of a policy--"written or unwritten" in the words of one source--that encouraged racial discrimination by officers [nor did the report find] specific acts by officers that amounted to civil rights violations."

Nonetheless, Bill Lann Lee trumpeted the misleading statistic that "Black motorists receive an estimated 21 percent of traffic tickets issued by county police, even though African Americans account for 12 percent of the population".

Neither Bill Lee's DOJ nor Montgomery County officials have asked the obvious question: "Well, did blacks, in fact, commit 21 percent more traffic offenses than other county residents?" It is the type of obvious question that any high school statistics course teaches one to ask. Nor did either party cite any cause for the higher rate of tickets to black drivers. No cause whatsoever.

In short, in spite of his best efforts, Bill Lann Lee's DOJ Office of Civil Rights has not been able to pin a charge of racism or racial profiling on the Montgomery County Police.

Undaunted, DOJ's Mr. Lee has threatened to sue Montgomery County unless the county begins collecting racial data on all traffic stops, and reporting that data to the feds. Mr. Lee hopes to use racial profiling by the U.S. Government -- "good" profiling -- to combat (unproven) racial profiling by the local government (defined as "bad" racial profiling by Mr. Lee). It is familiar Department of Justice Office of Civil Rights logic, coupled with their usual strong arm tactics and their usual disregard for such niceties in criminal proceedings such as proof, intent, motive, and so on. "No proof? Then let's create some!"

The local NAACP is unconcerned that Montgomery County has been cleared by DOJ in the current report. "No matter what it says we're going to keep putting pressure on," said Linda Plummer, president of the local chapter of the NAACP, as quoted in the Washington Post.

Typical of the Justice Department's misguided fanaticism in matters of race, the Washington Post cited sources close to the negotiations saying that the DOJ report also raised questions about incidents in which Montgomery police pulled over black drivers for questioning primarily because a witness to a crime had described the suspect as black.

Hmm. Who are the police supposed to pull over when they're looking for a black suspect? Asian Americans? European Americans?

Procedurally, DOJ's Civil Rights Office seems to have done a little "fine tuning" of the numbers to get the result that they wanted. The Washington Post reports that sources said "...Justice Department investigators did not filter out those tickets issued to black motorists as a result of radar stops or accidents, possibly inflating the figure with citations where race may have no influence on the officer's decision."

"We can't believe the Justice Department wants us to stop issuing tickets to people who break the law simply because we bump up against a racial or ethnic cap," said a county official familiar with the negotiations. (Washington Post 12/03/99 page A01 by Scott Wilson)
[link http://washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1999-12/03/185l-120399-idx.html ]

Postscript: In January 2000 Montgomery County Executive Doug Duncan appeared on the local county cable channel with a smiling Bill Lann Lee from DOJ. Said Mr. Duncan "We are going to collect the racial data for the Department of Justice." Duncan, who is a died-in-the-wool liberal democrat should also have added "...We will collect intrusive racial data on traffic stops in spite of the fact that Bill Lee and his DOJ have found no evidence of racial discrimination in our police department. We are choosing to cave in to the federal DOJ's demands that we make race a divisive factor in traffic enforcement." Editor.

Massachusetts (statewide):
Quotas and Preferences Are Losing In Massachusetts

Adversity.Net's collection of Massachusetts News has MOVED to the following page:
http://adversity.net/policefire_3_massachusetts.htm

Michigan (Pontiac):
Pontiac Fire Dept. Forced to Abandon Racial Quotas! (July 2006)

Adversity.Net special report. White Pontiac, Michigan firefighters will no longer be disadvantaged by racial quotas according to an agreement between the U.S. Justice Department and the fire department.

The Pontiac FD will no longer be able to hire less qualified minorities ahead of higher scoring whites.

Pontiac firefighter Art Frantz filed suit over the practice in 2004 after being turned down for promotion to lieutenant because he is white. Local attorney James Fett was instrumental in helping Mr. Frantz win color-blind justice.

See Adversity.Net Case 48: http://adversity.net/PontiacFD/default.htm

See Also other Michigan stories, below.

Michigan (Ann Arbor):
Youth Correction Workers Sue for Reverse Discrimination (no link)

Two white, male corrections workers are suing the Michigan Family Independence Agency. They have lost promotions to minorities and women with lower qualifications and less experience. Among other things, it seems the W.J. Maxey Boys Juvenile Training Facility has been requiring higher test scores of white males than of minorities. The plaintiffs are being represented by Ann Arbor attorney James Fett. (Ann Arbor News / Michigan Live 6/16/98 -- link no longer available.)

Michigan (Lansing):
State settles trooper's reverse discrimination suit (02/23/00)

Michigan state trooper Michael Herendeen will get $275,000 and the rank of sergeant to settle a claim that less-qualified minorities and women were hired while he was repeatedly passed over in spite of his excellent credentials.

The settlement offered to Herendeen is one of seven reverse discrimination settlements the state has been forced to make to state troopers since 1996. It is estimated that the settlements have cost $1.5 million, which sum is paid by the taxpayers.

As is usual in such embarrassing cases, the state police deny any wrongdoing and insist that they signed an agreement with Herendeen simply to bring an end to the case.

The Detroit News reports that Col. Michael Robinson, state police commander, said the agreement with Herendeen should not be construed to mean that the state police violated any Michigan Department of State Police promotional policies. Which is, of course, true: state police promotion policies quite clearly state that minorities and women should be given preference over white's who have equal or better qualitifations in order to promote "diversity".

Herendeen, who is 43 years old and is a 20 year veteran of the department. Yet he was refused even the opportunity to interview for over 60 promotions despite his consistently high scores on sergeant exams -- including two perfects, a Wayne State University law degree and a spotless record.

The Detroit News quotes Herendeen's attorney, James Fett, as arguing that if too few women and minorities scored in the top bracket on a sergeant exam, those preferred minorities who scored in the next-lower bracket were then added to the pool of candidates for sergeant openings. White men were considered only if they scored in the top-most bracket, while minorities and women were considered for promotion if they only scored in the next-lower bracket.

As part of the reverse discrimination settlement by the state police, Michael Herendeen has been promoted to sergeant retroactive to May 1, 1993. Herendeen currently works full-time as president of the State Troopers' union.

(Based upon the Detroit News report by reporter Gary Heinlein 2/23/00)

[Link: http://detnews.com/2000/metro/0002/23/02230189.htm ]

Michigan (Lansing):
State Cop Wins $850,000 for Reverse Discrimination (10/25/98)

Livingston County Circuit Court this week awarded $850,000 to Detective Sgt. Thomas Cremonte because his employer failed to promote him based on his race, gender and age. The Circuit Court's decision was overturned on a technicality, but Cremonte is confident he will win again at his second trial. (Chicago Tribune 10/25/98)
[link http://chicagotribune.com/version1/article/0,1575,SAV-9810230189,00.html ]

Michigan (Royal Oak Township):
White Sergeant Sues Township for Reverse Discrimination (07/23/98)

Sgt. Keith Newton has sued Royal Oak Township, alleging he was paid $25,000 less than black officers with similar duties. (Detroit Free Press, 7/23/98)
[link http://www.freep.com/news/locoak/nsuit23.htm ]

Michigan (Wayne County):
County Workers form 'Reverse Discrimination Support Group' (06/24/98)

Headline: "Workers claim reverse discrimination"

Subhead: "6 start support group as they fight alleged Wayne County practices"

"In 24 years, Daniel Biedzen's career in Wayne County government has advanced very little. But it wasn't from a lack of trying, the 49-year-old Northville Township resident said this week.

"In a case filled with irony, Biedzen, who investigates county workers' discrimination complaints, blames racial discrimination for his problems.

"He is among six county workers who this week formed a support group -- Victims of Reverse Discrimination in Public Employment -- to combat the problem. Four of the workers are men. Three, including Biedzen, have filed lawsuits.

"I want a promotion and I want to reform the system," said Biedzen, who is white. He is a member of Mensa, a club for people with high IQs. He has a bachelor's degree from Wayne State University and is paid an annual salary of $36,000. "I'm in the same salary grade as a salt truck driver, a clerical leader and a tree trimmer," Biedzen said. "Sure, I'm not happy."

"Biedzen said he has been bypassed for promotions repeatedly, despite scoring first in competitive exams.

"[Deputy County Executive Mike] Duggan said the county seeks a racial mix in its workforce and management but does not have an affirmative action program that favors minorities.

"The number of [reverse discrimination] complaints are low because employees fear retaliation, Biedzen said.

Some of the other members of the reverse discrimination group include:

John Blackstone, 35, of Belleville

Karen Kinder, 47, of Melvindale

Judith Muhammad, 55, of Detroit

Larry Fields, 50, of Carleton

According to the Free Press story, Biedzen, Fields and Kinder have filed discrimination lawsuits; and Ms. Muhammad has filed a complaint with the federal government. Mr. Blackstone withdrew a complaint with the federal government is preparing a lawsuit.

Larry Fields' attorney, Jim Fett, also previously represented two state troopers who were awarded cash settlements for reverse discrimination. Attorney Fett is quoted by the Free Press: "Discrimination against white people in Wayne County government is rampant. The only time you can give preferences is to remedy past discrimination by a governmental unit."

As of the date of this report, the Free Press reported that county employees can contact Victims of Reverse Discrimination in Public Employment at 1-313-222-0336 anytime.

Excerpted from the Dennis Niemiec story in the Detroit Free Press 6/24/98

[last known link http://www.freep.com/news/locway/qcounty24.htm ]

Minnesota (Minneapolis):
Firefighter Runs for President of NAACP Minneapolis Chapter (01/02/99)

Minneapolis Fire Department deputy chief and fire marshall Ricky Campbell is campaigning for the position of President of the Minneapolis NAACP. Campbell founded the Minneapolis African American (black) Firefighters Association and was instrumental in implementing racial quotas and preferences in this fire department. Ricky Campbell believes that test scores and firefighting competence must take a back seat to firefighter applicants' racial and ethnic status. (Minneapolis Star Tribune, 01/02/99, by Mark Brunswick)
[ link http://www2.startribune.com/cgi-bin/stOnLine/article?thisSlug=NACP02&date=02-Jan-99 ]

End Police Fire (3) Kentucky to Mississippi

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