Five officers accuse the University of Washington Police Department of racist

African American agents report this police force for damages; and request a compensation of $ 8 million dollars, for the mistreatment suffered by coworkers and supervisors for their skin color

Photo: Scott Olson / Getty Images

New complaints of racism have emerged within the University of Washington Police Department in Seattle.

Five African American officers have filed claims for damages caused by racism and discrimination, for a total of $ 8 million, saying they were routinely insulted and demeaned by their co-workers and supervisors over the past several years.

The five black officers in the university police department expressed in their multi-million dollar damages claims made this week, that There is a culture of entrenched racism at the university that has included racial slurs, vicious comments about African Americans, and outright hostility directed at them and members of the public

The accusations go beyond stereotypes and I insult them s.

Some officers said they were unfairly disciplined and were even denied promotions, all because of their race.

In the claim for damages, Officer Karinn Young said that “They put a banana in front of my locker with a note that said: ‘Here’s your lunch, damn monkey.’”

Officer Damien Taylor said a white supervisor referred to him as “'(His) own nigga’ on a call and then he laughed at me when I confronted him.”

Part of the dispute within the department involved former boss John Vinson, who is African American.

The officers who filed the tort claims said Vinson was repeatedly criticized by white officers for hiring too many “blacks,” reported kmonews.com .

“White officers called Chief Vinson the n word … on several occasions,” Officer Russell Ellis said in the court filing. Vinson was later reassigned to an administrative position at the university, but . .

Regarding the murder of George Floyd, Officer Hamani Nowlen said that heard white officers say it was “another dead monkey” and that “He got what he deserved.”

All five officers are now demanding that the University of Washington pay $ 8 million in damages, saying that face open hostility and entrenched racism that has persisted for years.

University of Washington spokesman Victor Balta issued a statement: “We are shocked by the allegations described in these statements. Any of the incidents described here would trigger an immediate investigation and appropriate disciplinary action based on the findings of the investigation. We acknowledge that officers believe that UWPD command staff are aware of the incidents described, however we do not have any record of complaints filed through the many avenues available for staff to do so. We have no record of such complaints through the police union, the Office of Labor Relations or the Office of Investigation and Complaint Resolution of the University. “

” We plan to initiate our own investigation into these allegations now that they have come to our attention. UW is committed to maintaining a fair, equitable and inclusive environment and offers employees many avenues to report inappropriate or discriminatory behavior so that it can be dealt with immediately. Given the nature of these allegations and these pending legal claims, we have nothing more to add while the legal process is ongoing. ”

Claims for damages are the first step towards a lawsuit. The university has until 60 days to reply.