When their complaints went unheeded, black officers, activists turned to lawsuits

The meeting at the Urban League in south Minneapolis on Sept. 11 would be pivotal. A group of black police officers laid out its allegations of race discrimination to the city's civil rights director.

They left with the expectation that some action would be taken. The next day, the tensions were brought to Mayor R.T. Rybak during an Executive Committee meeting.

But two months passed, the officers got no response and three of them faced disciplinary action for personnel violations. So ended the chance to avoid the 38-page federal lawsuit that delivered a blow to the Minneapolis Police Department's image.

Filed by five high-ranking black officers on Monday, the suit alleges longstanding departmental racism, magnified by the demotions of three key black cops within a year. It also alleges discrimination against three black lieutenants and two black sergeants.

"What the civil rights director didn't realize is that these officers were already moving toward litigation," said Ron Edwards, co-chairman of the Police Community Relations Council. "They wanted to test the city to see if they would sincerely look at the problems. Clearly they wouldn't."

The suit against the city and Police Chief Tim Dolan now may unravel the Police Community Relations Council, a group of community members and officers who have met monthly for four years under a federal mediation agreement.

On Wednesday the community members of the council voted to file a class-action lawsuit against the Police Department and ask the U.S. Department of Justice to place the department in receivership. If that were to happen, the department would be managed by the federal government.

"If this is the right avenue to get accountability, then they should do it," Reed said.

A meeting, then a message

Civil Rights Director Michael Jordan said he learned about the dissatisfaction of black police officers from a column Edwards wrote for the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder newspaper. Several of the allegations would later appear in the suit.

Jordan arranged to meet with eight of the veteran officers. One showed him documentation of alleged discrimination dating back long before Dolan became chief in January.

"Maybe I didn't follow up as fast as they wanted," Jordan said Tuesday.

"They thought they went through the proper channel [talking to Jordan] and they were completely rebuffed," said John Klassen, the officers' attorney.

The suit alleges that discriminatory conduct against black officers has become more institutionalized during Dolan's tenure. It details claims of discrimination against black officers involving overtime and educational and promotional opportunities.

The plaintiffs are Lt. Medaria Arradondo, Lt. Don Harris, Lt. Lee Edwards, Sgt. Charlie Adams and Sgt. Dennis Hamilton.

Harris and Edwards and a third officer not named in the suit were demoted by Dolan months before the suit was filed. Adams was transferred last week from the homicide unit after publicly contradicting the head of the unit, Lt. Amelia Huffman, who is white.

Another black officer, Lt. Gwen Gunter, said she was hesitant to say race played a role in the three demotions, but "I think they deserved a better explanation for the reasons of their demotion."

"Amelia and I have an African-American daughter," Gunter said. "It's offensive to our children."

Investigation sought

The suit has prompted City Hall meetings involving Dolan, Assistant Chief Sharon Lubinski, Rybak and Council President Barbara Johnson.

Council Member Ralph Remington said Tuesday that he and Council Member Elizabeth Glidden want a human resources investigation into the officers' concerns.

"This is not a time for the city to dig in its heels. This is time for the city to investigate," Remington said. "If we had five women alleging an atmosphere of sexual harassment in the police department there would be mass outrage and a sense of urgency to get to the bottom of the problem."

Remington said the lawsuit resonates with the public because some of the officers have been spokesmen for the department or have been publicly praised for their work.

"These are highly competent, high integrity, articulate gentlemen with deep, rich contacts and the public wants to know what gives," he said.