Posted on Jun 25, 2021
Black UW police officers file claims against the university, alleging a racist work environment
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Five Black police officers have filed damage claims totaling $8 million against the University of Washington Police Department over what they describe as a racist work environment. The claims are a required legal step that comes before a lawsuit is filed.
Journalist Mike Baker wrote about this story for the New York Times. KUOW’s Kim Malcolm asked him about how these officers say they were treated, both by their supervisors and fellow officers at the UW Police Department.
Journalist Mike Baker wrote about this story for the New York Times. KUOW’s Kim Malcolm asked him about how these officers say they were treated, both by their supervisors and fellow officers at the UW Police Department.
Black UW police officers file claims against the university, alleging a racist work environment
Posted from kuow.org
Lawsuit
University of Washington
Police
Law Enforcement
Racism
Posted 3 y ago
Responses: 3
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel Mike Baker: "They describe a pretty entrenched problem of racism within the department: racial slurs or disparagement of Black people, and just a general hostility towards Black officers, but also people in the community who are also Black."
Kim Malcolm: "You highlight your conversations with an officer by the name of Russell Ellis, who's been with the UW police since 2007. What did he tell you about what happened to him?"
"He basically says this is an unbearable level of racism. It's gotten to the point where he's having difficulty sleeping at night. This is just something where he's filled with dread about going to work. Just as an example, one of the cases he describes was from earlier this year. He talks about how one of the supervisors in the department, at the end of his night shift on campus, offers him an energy drink.
The supervisor, who is a sergeant, was laughing because the drink was flavored like watermelon. Ellis says that the supervisor made the comment, “I thought all you guys like watermelon and Popeye's chicken.” It was not the first time that he's dealt with comments that he saw as explicitly racist, but was another comment that sort of left him with a lot of stewing anger, stewing humiliation about what the culture is like there."
Kim Malcolm: "You highlight your conversations with an officer by the name of Russell Ellis, who's been with the UW police since 2007. What did he tell you about what happened to him?"
"He basically says this is an unbearable level of racism. It's gotten to the point where he's having difficulty sleeping at night. This is just something where he's filled with dread about going to work. Just as an example, one of the cases he describes was from earlier this year. He talks about how one of the supervisors in the department, at the end of his night shift on campus, offers him an energy drink.
The supervisor, who is a sergeant, was laughing because the drink was flavored like watermelon. Ellis says that the supervisor made the comment, “I thought all you guys like watermelon and Popeye's chicken.” It was not the first time that he's dealt with comments that he saw as explicitly racist, but was another comment that sort of left him with a lot of stewing anger, stewing humiliation about what the culture is like there."
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Some people got used to saying whatever they want and not getting punched in the face. I hope they win the suit.
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