Black officer accuses Black chief of racial discrimination
By Noble Johns
Chattanooga (BNW) — Black officer seeks federal probe of "Discrimination" into racist polices of the Chattanooga police department; saying, white officers get lesser punishment for same policy violations. This all sounds counter intuitive, when you consider that the person doing the racial discrimination is Black. How can this be? Can one Black accuse another Black of racial discrimination? It just doesn’t make sense!
Fired Chattanooga Police officer Ralph Kenneth Freeman blew the lid off of racist polices that favors white officer over Black officers. In a complaint with federal authorities, officer Freeman said police Chief Freeman Cooper, who is Black, discriminated him against because of his race. If the Black police chief in Chattanooga, Freeman Cooper, allows others Blacks on the force to be mistreated, what in the hell is he allowing to happen to poor, Black citizens in a racist city like Chattanooga?
Officer Freeman states in the conclusion of his complaint, the relevant question for purposes of this investigation is why terminate one employee for an act or conduct (alleged policy violations) for which other similarly situated employees were not terminated? There is no rational explanation unless we take into consideration longstanding practices of racial discrimination in employment by the Chattanooga Police Department and the City’s failure to correct these practices by protecting the federal rights of her African American officers and civilian employees.
He said he was "racially profiled" while attempting to leave the Collegedale Wal-Mart and wound up in a clash with a 71-year-old greeter.
He was given a 28-day suspension in that incident, then was fired after two later infractions.
The complaint claims that white officers who got into trouble got lesser punishment.
Comparatives
It is my belief that the City of Chattanooga Police Department has engaged in unlawful employment practices in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended and the Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4, chapter 21 where similarly situated white employees within the Department have violated Department policy, and in some cases both state and federal laws and are still under the employment of the Department. It goes without saying that for years African American police officers have complained of overt and covert discriminatory practices to the City of Chattanooga office of the Mayor and City Counsel only to be singled out and later terminated from employment, thereby creating a chilling effect on African American officer’s attempts to receive fair and honest assessments of work related conduct. It also goes without saying that the Office of Internal Affairs has for years covered over and hid out their investigations of allegations of some of the most atrocious misconduct on the part of white officers. For example:
Assistant Chief (now Captain) of the Chattanooga Police Department Jeannie Snyder, a white female, was alleged to have been found unconscious, while on duty, as a result of alcohol and illegal drug use. On another occasion she failed to report to work and was later found, after an extensive search involving over 150 officers and multiple law enforcement agencies, deep in the woods of Marion County, Tennessee, for reasons unknown but unrelated to any law enforcement duties or responsibilities. Additionally, while off-duty, she was found in Kennesaw Georgia in a state of advanced intoxication at a public shopping mall frequented by families and children. After having displayed her firearm to local authorities attempting to diffuse her unexplained dangerous and dysfunctional behavior, local Kennesaw officers, feeling threatened, knocked her purse from her hand, thereby disarming and detained her until medical personnel could evaluate her for possible drug overdose. It goes without saying that these incidents combined received an enormous amount of public and media attention for nearly a year raising concerns of public safety and police misconduct. The idea of an armed police officer suffering psychotic episodes sent waves of fear through the Chattanooga community and surrounding area(s). Mrs. Snyder was not terminated, placed on leave without pay, or formally investigated by Internal Affairs under an administrative inquiry. At all times relevant to these activities Chief Freeman Cooper made the decisions whether to punish or discipline officer Snyder but declined to do so stating “that activities during her personal time was nobody’s business and that she should not be singled out.”
Officer James Hedrick, a white male, serves as Transportation Inspector for the City of Chattanooga. After investigation by the City Auditor in mid 2009 it was reported that Officer Hedrick failed to enforce the legal provisions of the Transportation Ordinance by allowing/assisting an unqualified applicant in their efforts to secure Certificates of Pubic Convenience. It was further alleged and shown that Officer Hedrick issued Blue Sheets to allow a group of vehicles to be registered as taxicabs by a non-applicant before the Transportation Board in violation of City Ordinance Chapter 35. These issues received and continue to receive a great deal of public attention. At all times relevant to these activities Chief Freeman Cooper made the decisions whether to punish or discipline officer Hedrick. Mr. Hedrick is still employed with the Chattanooga Police Department and retains his same position.
Officer Michael Early, a white male, was arrested while off duty by a Tennessee State Trooper for alleged DUI and found to be in possession of a firearm in early 2008. At all times relevant to these activities Chief Freeman Cooper made the decisions whether to punish or discipline officer Early. Mr. Early is still employed with the Chattanooga Police Department and retains his same position.
Officer Josh Turner, a white male, was arrested while off duty and charged with DUI by Chattanooga Police and found to be in possession of a firearm in early 2009. At all times relevant to these activities Chief Freeman Cooper made the decisions whether to punish or discipline officer Turner. Mr. Turner is still employed with the Chattanooga Police Department and retains his same position.
Sergeant Jonathan Bryant, a white male police supervisor, allegedly choked a handcuffed suspect while in custody of the Chattanooga Police Department at the scene of an arrest on June 30, 2009. These occurrences received a great deal of publicity. At all times relevant to these activities Chief Freeman Cooper made the decisions whether to punish or discipline officer Bryant and chose only to issue a single written warning for improper use of force and failure to fill out a use of force form. Sergeant Bryant is still employed with the Chattanooga Police Department and retains his same position.
Officer Jim Brock, a white male police officer, was involved in a domestic dispute with his wife where shots were fired from a firearm obtained illegally from the Chattanooga Police Department. The firearm in question was evidence obtained by the Department from an earlier crime under investigation. The domestic incident required intervention by SWAT to insure public safety for residents living near where the incident occurred. After the firearm was found, after investigation by the Department, to have been a stolen weapon from another city, its identity was erased from NCIC thereby washing over the seriousness of the act of the alleged illegal possession. At all times relevant to these activities Chief Freeman Cooper made the decisions whether to punish or discipline officer Brock Mr. Brock is still employed with the Chattanooga Police Department and retains his same position and no criminal charges have filed regarding the weapon in question.
Officer Michael Bolton, a white male police officer for the city of Chattanooga, allegedly made false and misleading representations to a female victim of domestic abuse who had been battered and severely beaten on or about December 24, 2008. According to reports Officer Bolton knowingly and institutionally used a false identification to conceal his true identity from a female complainant. It was reported to authorities within the Chattanooga Police Department that Mr. Bolton “liked her tits” and took steps outside of established procedure to secure an inappropriate audience with the victim. When discovered by officials within the Department, he failed to admit any wrongdoing (using false identification to have inappropriate relations with a female victim of assault) At all times relevant to these activities Chief Freeman Cooper made the decisions whether to punish or discipline officer Bolton who is still employed with the Chattanooga Police Department and retains his same position.
Conclusion
The relevant question for purposes of this investigation is why terminate one employee for an act or conduct (alleged policy violations) for which other similarly situated employees were not terminated? There is no rational explanation unless we take into consideration longstanding practices of racial discrimination in employment by the Chattanooga Police Department and the City’s failure to correct these practices by protecting the federal rights of her African American officers and civilian employees.
For the above state reasons I believe that my termination was in furtherance of a longstanding policy and practice of discriminatory treatment where African Americans are routinely disciplined more severely for acts of conduct that white employees take for granted. Additionally, the severity of the discipline for the alleged policy violations, even if true, was/is disparate in nature and requires an investigation by the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to determine whether African American Police Officers employed by the Chattanooga Police Department are being denied the equal protection of the laws embodied in the Constitution of the United States.
Black discrimination against others is not new. Because some Blacks can be paid to do anything for a job they are not qualified for, Blacks routinely misuse other Blacks to keep their jobs. Perhaps, this is the situation with the case above.