Maryland State Troopers Charge Racial Discrimination
The troopers allege in a lawsuit that Maryland State Police has engaged in several instances of racial discrimination against its officers of color, as well as retaliation against those who speak out.
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Maryland State Police (MSP) troopers Matin Dunlap, Byron Tribue and Analisse Diaz have filed a class-action lawsuit against the department, alleging racial discrimination against its officers of color and seeking compensation for loss of income and emotional distress, reports Jonathan Franklin for NPR.
The troopers allege that the law enforcement agency has engaged in several instances of racial discrimination against its officers of color, including painting a paper training dummy at a MSP shooting range in blackface and adding an Afro wig and placing a banana on one of their patrol cars.
The agency’s Office of Fair Practice, which handles complaints of discrimination, determined that the banana placed on Dunlap’s car could not be “tied to racism or discrimination.”
Meanwhile, according to the lawsuit, employees of color across MSP were transferred to “less favorable and/or more dangerous assignments and shifts,” were often denied overtime opportunities, and faced retaliation when they spoke up about discrimination.
