April 16, 2001
(PONTIAC, Mich.) – Four police captains and four lieutenants claim that they were victims of racial discrimination when a black sergeant was named assistant chief of the Pontiac department.
A similar suit was filed in 1995 when three white captains said they were discriminated against in favor of a black sergeant, who was also named assistant chief. That suit was settled in 1998, a year before Sgt. Conway Thompson was promoted to the assistant chief’s post.
The city and Mayor Walter Moore are named as defendants.
Lawyers for the city argue that the rule requires only that the assistant chief be selected from a pool that includes captains, lieutenants and sergeants. The plaintiffs say that they should have been notified that the position was open before Moore made his choice.