Ex-Pa. trooper claims he was fired over Ebonics

[kytwell 179]

PITTSBURGH (AP) -- A black man contends he was fired at the end of his 18-month probationary period as a state trooper for false claims that he didn't properly write reports, and sometimes used Ebonics in doing so, according to a federal lawsuit.

The federal lawsuit was filed Tuesday on behalf of William Peake, 29, of Sewickley, who graduated from the police academy in May 2009 and soon after was stationed at the Uniontown barracks, which his attorney contends employs nearly all white troopers.

Peake was required to sign a termination letter contending he was let go for a "lack of solid job knowledge and basic police skills" and other "officer/public safety concerns" not spelled out in that letter in November 2010. According to the lawsuit, the reasons for Peake's firing have "no substantial basis in fact, and are not worthy of belief."

State police spokeswoman Maria Finn said the agency doesn't comment on litigation. Peake is not suing any police officials in particular, only the state police and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

The lawsuit contends Peake was one of four black officers out of about 75 in his police academy class and that the state police have a "policy and practice of not hiring a sufficient number of African-Americans into trooper positions."

"Plaintiff was judge by different and more harsh standards than other probationary troopers, because of his race," the lawsuit contends. Peake claims a white trooper at the same barracks had his probationary period extended, received more "coaching and mentoring" than Peake, and remains a trooper.

Finn said 6.6 percent of Pennsylvania's roughly 4,150 state troopers are non-white, including 3.9 percent who are black. U.S. Census Bureau data shows blacks account for just over 11 percent of Pennsylvania's population.

Peake's attorney, James Logan of Pittsburgh, cited a report by the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights that found minorities are underrepresented in police departments.

"It's a complex problem," Logan said. "Here you have a guy who did very well at the training academy and wanted to be a state police officer more than anything; he just burned to do it."

Logan said the termination has made it difficult for Peake to find other police jobs. He's employed in a non-police job for less pay and benefits than he earned as a trooper, Logan said, declining to release other details.

"There's an emotional distress component that comes into this as well," he said. "He comes from a family of police officers. For him to be terminated from a job like this, it's embarrassing to him."

Peake's lawsuit seeks reinstatement, back pay and unspecified monetary damages. Mostly, Peake wants a chance to prove himself, Logan said.

"The last bit of time in his employment, he had been restricted to desk work," he said. "How is that giving him an opportunity to perform his job?"

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/ex-pa-trooper-claims-fired-131117755.html

[^_^ 5,021]

There's so very little actual information in this article.

So I'm going to go off on a tangent instead.

Ever work in inner city settings where the boss and almost all the employees are black?

It's pretty awful the way they treat non-black teammates in settings like that.

Now, it just so happens that there are more white people than black people in this country. And it just so happens that white people have had a historical advantage (now rapidly eroding) over black people in this country. So stories like this are obviously more common than the other way around.

But it's important to realize it goes both ways. That's why diversity (not just racial but in all ways) and creating a culture that moves employees laterally and vertically with some regularity is important. It inhibits the formation of cliques and actually enables real talent to break through.

[We Keep Receipts 9,238]

[quote name=' timestamp='1354822047' post='5858688]

There's so very little actual information in this article.

So I'm going to go off on a tangent instead.

Ever work in inner city settings where the boss and almost all the employees are black?

It's pretty awful the way they treat non-black teammates in settings like that.

Now, it just so happens that there are more white people than black people in this country. And it just so happens that white people have had a historical advantage (now rapidly eroding) over black people in this country. So stories like this are obviously more common than the other way around.

But it's important to realize it goes both ways. That's why diversity (not just racial but in all ways) and creating a culture that moves employees laterally and vertically with some regularity is important. It inhibits the formation of cliques and actually enables real talent to break through.

I can see your point, in my office now it's all black, and the one supervisor I have is white, he feels left out and sometimes makes comments to me about not being included in on the fun he perceives we have when we joke around. But I told him it's because he works in a different office across the hall so he misses out on most of the in-jokes we have. I've been the lone black person around a bunch of white people, sometimes it's cool, others, you get treated like you have the plague, I treat all people the same, I let your actions dictate how I handle you, it's the best way.

[^_^ 5,021]

I can see your point, in my office now it's all black, and the one supervisor I have is white, he feels left out and sometimes makes comments to me about not being included in on the fun he perceives we have when we joke around. But I told him it's because he works in a different office across the hall so he misses out on most of the in-jokes we have. I've been the lone black person around a bunch of white people, sometimes it's cool, others, you get treated like you have the plague, I treat all people the same, I let your actions dictate how I handle you, it's the best way.

Yeah, I work with mostly white people and they're good to me, fair, they pay me well. But the only people here who have ever tried to be friends are either young white people or people of color. The older white guys treat me right at review time but otherwise are all very aloof. I used to think it was an age thing but then I saw that new hires even younger than I am (I'm in my mid 30s now, first started working here when I was in my 20s) were embraced rather quickly if they were white.

But I don't complain (too much) because they're good to me when it comes to my bottom line. Which is what matters the most.

[bsd058 296]

What does he have against writing in proper English? I think it's a minimum requirement to write a report that everyone is able to read.

At least, it should be.

Edited December 6, 2012 by bsd058

[^_^ 5,021]

What does he have against writing in proper English? I think it's a minimum requirement to write a report that everyone is able to read.

At least, it should be.

It's an allegation. Doesn't mean it's true. It's possible there were grammatical errors (it happens) which the reader, ignorant of the grammatical structure of ebonics (yes, it does have one), rushed to a hasty (and incorrect) conclusion.

Too many parentheses? Yes.. I know.

[bsd058 296]

[quote name=' timestamp='1354824433' post='5858755]

It's an allegation. Doesn't mean it's true. It's possible there were grammatical errors (it happens) which the reader, ignorant of the grammatical structure of ebonics (yes, it does have one), rushed to a hasty (and incorrect) conclusion.

Too many parentheses? Yes.. I know.

True.

[kytwell 179]

[quote name=' timestamp='1354822047' post='5858688]

There's so very little actual information in this article.

So I'm going to go off on a tangent instead.

Ever work in inner city settings where the boss and almost all the employees are black?

It's pretty awful the way they treat non-black teammates in settings like that.

Now, it just so happens that there are more white people than black people in this country. And it just so happens that white people have had a historical advantage (now rapidly eroding) over black people in this country. So stories like this are obviously more common than the other way around.

But it's important to realize it goes both ways. That's why diversity (not just racial but in all ways) and creating a culture that moves employees laterally and vertically with some regularity is important. It inhibits the formation of cliques and actually enables real talent to break through.

Well I direct waste and recycling operations. The vast majority of drivers, pickers and refuse managers are black. Does that count?