It seems to me from what I have observed over the years, that this is far from an isolated incident. What I am referring to is not just an action of discrimination, but an attitude by officials. It's basically, "so sue me." They know that awards will not be coming out of their pockets and they know that they won't lose their jobs. They don't care because even if a decision is wrong, and deliberately so, there are no consequences.
This particular case illustrates the principle dramatically. This man is well trained in the law. If anyone ever "knew, or should have known" that his actions were not legal, it was this man. But, his arrogance is not unusual for public officials. "So sue me."
agreed