Southern Cops in MS Aren’t Feeling the Hospitality
Posted on June 5th, 2009 by Charity Clemons | No Comments »Filed under: ., Discrimination, Politics |
Some news from a couple of CE writers’ old stomping grounds down south:
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has concluded an investigation of racial discrimination claims made by black Mississippi state troopers. The investigation spanned several months and resulted in the agency finding in favor of the state troopers.
The EEOC’s report cited discriminatory practices by Mississippi’s Department of Public Safety in hiring, assignments, demotions, discharges and discipline. There was also evidence of a hostile work environment.
The way this works is that the EEOC issues a recommended conciliation program, and the employer (the Highway Patrol, in this case) has some time to make counter-proposals.
But State Rep. George Flaggs (D-Vicksburg) doesn’t want to wait. According to the Sun Herald, Rep. Flaggs issued a statement urging the state’s governor, Haley Barbour, to step in and resolve the racial discrimination problems cited by the EEOC:
[The] lawmaker has asked Gov. Haley Barbour to “step in immediately” to help resolve the racial discrimination problems cited in a federal report on employment practices at the Mississippi Highway Patrol.
[Rep. Flaggs] issued a statement Thursday in which he also urged Department of Public Safety Commissioner Steve Simpson to freeze hirings and promotions at the patrol “until they can resolve the issues in the complaint.” Flaggs is chairman of the House appropriations subcommittee overseeing the Department of Public Safety’s budget.
Well, that flag probably doesn't help...
When asked about the complaint at a news conference, Gov. Barbour said that he had not seen the EEOC report. He also commented that the complaint strikes him as “peculiar,” because the troopers didn’t file the original EEOC charge; the Mississippi chapter of NAACP did. He said he’s never heard of an EEOC case “without an injured party.”
Barbour has not stepped in, and doesn’t want to. According to the Sun Herald, his office is waiting because the Department of Public Safety is “willing to investigate it.” The NAACP disagrees. From the article:
Derrick Johnson, president of the state NAACP, said the troopers had approached Simpson, who’s been DPS chief since April 2008, months before the complaint was filed. Johnson said Simpson didn’t make an effort to address the claims, which date back three years, until it was clear the troopers were going to file an EEOC complaint.
In December 2008, Simpson formed an independent panel of three prominent attorneys to investigate the claims, but the troopers never met with the committee.
“The only reason why we went through this process is that DPS would not respond,” Johnson said. “They’re stonewalling.”
Among other things, the EEOC recommended recommended that the state of Mississippi pay $1.5 million to the affected troopers, revamp its promotion system and implement annual racial diversity training for all personnel.
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