Black LAPD officer alleges backlash for reporting hiring discrimination

A Black Los Angeles police officer suing the city, alleging he has been the victim of disparate treatment because of his race, states in new court papers that he has been subjected to backlash for reporting discrimination against Black candidates applying to be LAPD officers as well.

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Officer William Faulkner's Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit alleges discrimination, harassment and retaliation.

"On a continuing and ongoing basis beginning in or around May 2018, I have been subjected to discrimination and harassment because of my race and subject to retaliation for reporting discrimination against African-American applicants who sought to become police officers with the LAPD," Faulkner says. "The LAPD failed to prevent discrimination/harassment and instead chose to punish me for bringing my complaints."

Faulkner's declaration was filed Tuesday with Judge Robert Broadbelt as part of the plaintiff's opposition to the city's motion to dismiss some or all of his lawsuit.

The City Attorney's Office maintains in its court papers that Faulkner admitted during his deposition that he failed to interview job applicants and that the discipline he received was justified.

"Plaintiff has no facts to support his assertion that his transfer was racially motivated or the result of retaliation," the City Attorney's Office states in its court papers filed ahead of a scheduled July 30 hearing on the dismissal motion.

Faulkner was hired in December 2008 and began working in 2016 in the recruitment division of the LAPD's Personal History Statement Unit, the suit states. In May 2018, Sgt. David Williams, who also is Black, was named unit supervisor, according to the suit.

For the next two months, Faulkner was frequently subjected to a hostile working environment, according to the suit, which was filed in June 2021. When he submitted a Black applicant's package for approval to the next phase of the application process, Williams would reject the candidate and make comments about the applicant that included, "He said no to drugs, I ... find that hard to believe," according to the suit.

Williams did not make similar comments about candidates of other races, the suit states. Williams' rejection rate of Black applicants was more than 50% and far higher than all other ethnicities, the suit states.

A lieutenant agreed with Faulkner that many of the Black candidates should have been given passing grades and overturned Williams' decisions often, the suit states.

Faulkner filled out numerous transfer requests, but the plaintiff was still working under Williams when the two had a meeting in May 2019, the suit states. Faulkner allegedly complained that Williams treated Black applicants harsher than other applicants and said he had never heard the sergeant mention any stereotype with Latinos or members of other races, the suit states.

"Sgt. Williams simply responded that he treated everyone fairly and didn't know what (Faulkner) was talking about," the suit states.

A complaint was later issued against Faulkner for his alleged failure to telephonically interview candidates, an action he believes was retaliatory, the suit states. In January 2021, Faulkner allegedly was suspended for 12 days, more than twice the normal penalty.

"The Board of Rights panel found me guilty even though they were unable to reach any definitive conclusions," Faulkner says. "The Board of Rights panel even admitted on the record that they did not know why I failed to telephonically interview candidates. They acknowledged that it may have merely been a misunderstanding."

Faulkner has suffered lost earnings and other employment benefits as well as damage to his reputation, the suit states.

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