A federal judge has tossed out lawsuits from three white police officers who claimed they faced discrimination for being white males within their jobs.
In the three civil lawsuits, Plaintiffs Robert Hahn, Michael Caldwell, and Michael McCormick claimed that Michigan State Police Director Col. Joe Gasper helped fuel a culture of discrimination against whites by incorporating diversity tools. He allegedly told troopers in October 2019 that the department was “way too white and way too male.” At that time, Gasper released a “Diversity ONE” initiative that would diversify all ranks of the Michigan State Police.
In March 2020, Caldwell was demoted from his position as captain, and Hahn was terminated from his state police inspector position. In their lawsuits, they say they were fired and demoted as retaliation because they spoke out in opposition to the agency’s “affirmative action directive.” Caldwell was also furious that as part of the department’s directive, the MSP allocated 25% of the positions within the department for minorities and 20% for women.
In his suit, Hahn says while the state claims to be working towards diversity and inclusion, they do not value white men and are purposefully making efforts to exclude them.
One of McCormick’s claims maintains that he was overlooked for a promotion given to a minority only due to his race in 2019. However, the judge said McCormick withdrew his application for post commander before it was reviewed because he felt “the application process was rigged to install a racial minority applicant in the position.”
Nevertheless, U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan Judge Robert J. Jonker dismissed the cases that were rooted in “scant evidence.”
“Moreover, the judge noted, plaintiffs cannot point to a similar case of reverse race and gender discrimination,” the judge’s order read.
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