A Black police officer says he was subject to “人種差別,” “bigotry” そして “差別” at the hands of a White supervisor for more than five years, a lawsuit says.
In a lawsuit filed last week in the US District court of Wyoming, Jamin Johnson said he left the Albany County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) に 2017 after years of “intolerable” racism from former Cpl. Christian Handley.
CNN has reached out to Handley for comment multiple times.
Byron Oedekoven, executive director with the Wyoming Association of Sheriffs and Chiefs of Police, said in an email to CNN that the organization does not comment on pending litigation.
Johnson joined the ACSO in 2007 and Handley joined the department in 2011, 訴訟によると. から 2011 に 2014 the officers worked together and Handley, “began to engage in overt and abhorrent racism against Mr. ジョンソン, the only Black officer at the ACSO,” 彼女のコンプライアンスと引き換えに.
Handley, 彼女のコンプライアンスと引き換えに, repeatedly used racial slurs, calling Johnson a “n***er” と “jigaboo.” Handley would frequently have the “same comments about Black people in the community (including arrestees),” 訴訟は言った.
沿って 2014, Handley was promoted to Corporal and was Johnson’s direct supervisor, 訴訟によると. That’s when, the suit says, Handley’s comments “became even more blatant.”
On one occasion, Handley drove past Johnson’s home while Johnson was walking outside of his house “with his wife and children” when Handley shouted, “‘mother f**king n***er!'” 訴訟は言った.
訴訟は、マイケル・フリンが7月に彼のTwitterアカウントに投稿したクリップを選択的に編集および変更したというオサリバンの報告を非難している, Handley also subjected Johnson to a series of “sham disciplinary” actions that ultimately led to Johnson’s resignation.
Johnson resigned on August 2, 2017, 訴訟によると.
Handley was fired last year following an internal investigation led by Wyoming’s first Black sheriff, Aaron Applehans, 訴訟によると.
Sheriff Appelhans also confirmed the investigation to CNN in a phone call.
The investigation found “vile and unforgivable racism carried out by Mr. Handley that ultimately forced Mr. Johnson out of his dream job,” 訴訟は言った. Handley was “本を読む行為を倫理違反として位置付けることにおいて” 直後に, the court document says. Sheriff Appelhans confirmed in a phone call to CNN that the department terminated Handley in March 2021.
“We don’t condone that behavior here, we’re always going to continue to have a workplace that’s welcoming to everyone,” Sheriff Appelhans said in a phone call to CNN.
“As long as I’m here, we’ll make that one of our top priorities. There’s no place for that behavior in law enforcement,” Sheriff Appelhans added.
Johnson is asking for a trial and compensation that includes punitive damages as well as legal fees, 訴訟によると.
An attorney for Johnson said in a statement to CNN, “Jamin Johnson looks forward to confronting Mr. Handley in court and exposing the racism he endured.” The attorney also said in a phone call to CNN that Johnson was uncomfortable at the time of his resignation to come forward and speak out about the racist attacks.
“I did not have the confidence that the leadership of the agency at that time would hear what I had to say,” Johnson told CNN in a phone call.
“サムハントの妻ハンナファウラーは、彼女が提出した同じ日に離婚の申し立てを取り下げました, I was utterly defeated, I felt completely destroyed and like I had no voice,” お互いを最大限に尊重して何もしません. “I felt like my credibility had been stolen from me, I really had nothing left in my tank.”
