White Michigan cop claims police department persecuted him after learning he had black ancestors
Cleon Brown claims the department made fun of his African-American heritage.
(U.S. District Court records)
BY Terence Cullen
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Wednesday, May 10, 2017, 12:44 PM
A white Michigan cop found out he had African-American ancestors — then claimed his department persecuted him.
Cleon Brown, a police sergeant in Hastings, filed a federal lawsuit against the city, the department and several officials for what he said was discrimination after his heritage was revealed.
He claims the defendants violated his civil rights as well as Michigan’s Whistleblowers’ Protection Act, according to the lawsuit, published by local media.
The U.S. Army veteran found out through Ancestry.com that he was 18% African-American, and told his fellow officers about his new found family history.
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But things went south after Brown revealed his African-American lineage, according to reports.
Police Chief Jeff Pratt allegedly referred to the veteran cop as “Kunte,” a character in Alex Haley’s 1976 novel “Roots: The Saga of an American Family,” the lawsuit claims.
Last Christmas a stocking with his name on it was hung on a Christmas Tree — like every other cop. His, however, contained a black Santa Claus figurine with “18%” written on his beard, according to court documents.
Other officers would walk by and whisper “Black Lives Matter” — pumping their fists as they passed the patrol sergeant.
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The lawsuit claims Brown told now-retired Hastings Mayor Frank Campbell that he was African-American, to which the politician said, “Oh, you’ll be all right.”
When the mayor saw Brown and another cop a few days later, however, he began a joke that used a variation of the N-word “at least two or three times,” court documents indicate.
Brown had enough by January, the lawsuit claims, so he filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
A black Santa Claus with "18%" written on his beard — signifying Brown's African American lineage — was put in his stocking.
(U.S. District Court records)
Officials began to retaliate against Brown when they found out he filed the report, according to the lawsuit.
Several of the defendants “unfriended” Brown on Facebook, and he was blocked from the department’s cadet page on the social media site.
He was barred in February from playing in an annual basketball game between officers and cadets, as well as a charity game in April, the lawsuit alleges.
Pratt, who became silent or short with Brown, finally asked him to voluntarily demote himself from sergeant to patrol officer.
His lawyer, in the court documents, claims Brown — a Gulf War veteran who is 30% combat disabled — has suffered emotional grief and stress because of the incident.
The Hastings government and City Manager Jeff Mansfield, who’s named in the suit, said Brown is the one at fault.
The city told Michigan Live that Brown engaged in “mutual bantering” and acted out “typical racial stereotypes.”
In the Christmas incident, Brown told Pratt he wasn’t upset about the racially motivated Santa, according to the city’s telling. The chief also thought Brown might’ve been starting some of the jokes.
“The officer who placed the Santa in Brown's stocking then went to Brown to apologize ... since he heard that Brown was upset,” the city said in a statement to Michigan Live. “Sgt. Brown emphatically denied that he ever complained about it or that he was upset or offended by it and he even seemed confused that the issue was being raised.”
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Cleon Brown claims the department made fun of his African-American heritage.
(U.S. District Court records)
BY Terence Cullen
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Wednesday, May 10, 2017, 12:44 PM
A white Michigan cop found out he had African-American ancestors — then claimed his department persecuted him.
Cleon Brown, a police sergeant in Hastings, filed a federal lawsuit against the city, the department and several officials for what he said was discrimination after his heritage was revealed.
He claims the defendants violated his civil rights as well as Michigan’s Whistleblowers’ Protection Act, according to the lawsuit, published by local media.
The U.S. Army veteran found out through Ancestry.com that he was 18% African-American, and told his fellow officers about his new found family history.
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But things went south after Brown revealed his African-American lineage, according to reports.
Police Chief Jeff Pratt allegedly referred to the veteran cop as “Kunte,” a character in Alex Haley’s 1976 novel “Roots: The Saga of an American Family,” the lawsuit claims.
Last Christmas a stocking with his name on it was hung on a Christmas Tree — like every other cop. His, however, contained a black Santa Claus figurine with “18%” written on his beard, according to court documents.
Other officers would walk by and whisper “Black Lives Matter” — pumping their fists as they passed the patrol sergeant.
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The lawsuit claims Brown told now-retired Hastings Mayor Frank Campbell that he was African-American, to which the politician said, “Oh, you’ll be all right.”
When the mayor saw Brown and another cop a few days later, however, he began a joke that used a variation of the N-word “at least two or three times,” court documents indicate.
Brown had enough by January, the lawsuit claims, so he filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
A black Santa Claus with "18%" written on his beard — signifying Brown's African American lineage — was put in his stocking.
(U.S. District Court records)
Officials began to retaliate against Brown when they found out he filed the report, according to the lawsuit.
Several of the defendants “unfriended” Brown on Facebook, and he was blocked from the department’s cadet page on the social media site.
He was barred in February from playing in an annual basketball game between officers and cadets, as well as a charity game in April, the lawsuit alleges.
Pratt, who became silent or short with Brown, finally asked him to voluntarily demote himself from sergeant to patrol officer.
His lawyer, in the court documents, claims Brown — a Gulf War veteran who is 30% combat disabled — has suffered emotional grief and stress because of the incident.
The Hastings government and City Manager Jeff Mansfield, who’s named in the suit, said Brown is the one at fault.
The city told Michigan Live that Brown engaged in “mutual bantering” and acted out “typical racial stereotypes.”
In the Christmas incident, Brown told Pratt he wasn’t upset about the racially motivated Santa, according to the city’s telling. The chief also thought Brown might’ve been starting some of the jokes.
“The officer who placed the Santa in Brown's stocking then went to Brown to apologize ... since he heard that Brown was upset,” the city said in a statement to Michigan Live. “Sgt. Brown emphatically denied that he ever complained about it or that he was upset or offended by it and he even seemed confused that the issue was being raised.”
