Posted on 05/10/2017 12:56:17 PM PDT by Gamecock
Sgt. Cleon Brown was shocked to find out he could trace 18 percent of his DNA to regions of Africa. He said he was further shocked by his bosss and coworkers response to those results, and now hes suing over it.
Brown, who has worked at the Hastings Police Department in Michigan since 1998, took a genetic test with Ancestry.com last year that revealed the officer, who looks white, is 18 percent African. In the fall, Brown said he proudly told his fellow officers about that fact, according to a federal lawsuit, though city officials disagree with that characterization and say Brown joked about the results from the beginning.
Sgt. Brown, in a very joking and jovial manner, informed several of his fellow officers that he had recently taken a DNA test through Ancestry.com and the results showed that he was 18 percent African American, city officials said to Michigan Live.
Since then, Brown said his boss and fellow officers started taunting him about his race. The lawsuit alleges that Chief Jeff Pratt called Brown Kunta, an enslaved character in the novel Roots: The Saga of an American Family by American author Alex Haley.
Brown also described incidents when officers would pump their fists and say black lives matter, when he walked past them, and the former mayor after hearing about his DNA results telling him and another officer a racist joke that included an offensive term for black people.
The statement by the city said Brown repeatedly brought up the fact he was African in mutual bantering with officers and he would engage in typical racial stereotypes, according to Michigan Live.
After a month or so of Brown originally bringing it up, even that ended, the city said. Browns attorney denies he ever joked about his heritage, according to CBS Detroit.
Another incident described in the lawsuit alleges an officer placed a black Santa figurine in Browns department Christmas stocking in December, with 18% written on its beard. The city said the officer who did it apologized to Brown after he heard Brown was offended by it, and Brown emphatically denied that he ever complained about it or that he was upset or offended by it and he even seemed confused that the issue was being raised.
Brown filed a complaint in January with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, according to the lawsuit. He said he started experiencing hostile, retaliatory behavior from the chief and his fellow officers, including Pratt asking him to resign his sergeant position and return to the position of patrol officer.
While Brown said he is part of a protected class due to his African heritage, the city said thats uncertain under civil rights laws. Racial discrimination laws are not designed to protect those who can demonstrate some trace amount of a particular race or geographic origin, the city said, according to Michigan Live.
Brown is seeking financial damages, saying in the lawsuit the stress has affected his health, and his attorney told CBS Detroit she hopes the accused officials will resign.
Ah, lawyers.
Too many. Too many.
I have to assume he is a Millennial.
I have noted the trend of dishing it out but not being able to take it.
According to every anthropology text book in every university in the country, 100% of humanity is 100% african
If neither his grandparents nor his great grand parents are black (and he should certainly know without having to take a DNA test), then he ain't black.......
Part African?
Just which part?
The funniest part is that these ancestry tests are totally unreliable
>I have to assume he is a Millennial.
Maybe if he was literally born on the payroll. Did you miss the worked there since 1998 part? Clearly not a millenial since he worked.
Agreed.Ten bucks says that the results they give haven't been subjected to the rigor of scientific scrutiny.
Translation....the results they give are worthless.
I’m black in only the important part.....
Let only the lady Freepers comment...
It's twue ... it's twue ...
I know that it's mixing two movies, but it just seemed so appropriate ...
>>Maybe if he was literally born on the payroll. Did you miss the worked there since 1998 part? Clearly not a millenial since he worked.<<
Ah, Gen-X, Millennial, whatever — still a kid :) ;)
Serves me right for not reading the actual article.
I have a suspicion that he's converted to Judaism African just for the jokes.
I am 1/8 Ani Yun Wiya and proud of it, but I don’t go around bragging or talking about it....much...
My grandmother was full Ani Yun Wiya...
Did you know that Kunta Kinte had a sister?
His doctor should increase his Dolezal dosage. Pronto!
Or it could be 1/4...
... maybe he got someone else’s results.
Rename himself.
Talcum X!
Cleon Brown
Dont make me go there!
I went there!!
FREEPERS!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.