SEATTLE, Wash. – Five Black officers with the University of Washington Police Department have filed claims of racism against the department and are seeking $8 million in damages, alleging they were routinely insulted and demeaned by co-workers and supervisors.
Some officers said they were disciplined and denied promotions because of their race, KOMO-TV reported Tuesday.
The officers said University of Washington Police Chief John Vinson, who is also Black, was repeatedly criticized by white officers for hiring too many Black people.
University spokesperson Victor Balta said the college is stunned by the allegations and that the institution has no record of complaints being filed with the allegations.