Personal DNA tests like those offered through Ancestry.com and 23andme.com have become increasingly popular — learning about one’s heritage from many, many generations ago can be fun. Unfortunately for Michigan police officer Cleon Brown, getting his DNA reports was anything but fun when he shared his findings at work. According to a new lawsuit, Brown — who discovered 18% of his DNA originates from Africa — found himself being targeted by racially insensitive and cruel “jokes” and ridicule.
CBS News Detroit reports:
Hastings Police Sergeant Cleon Brown filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the city of Hastings, saying the racial taunts began last fall after he shared DNA results from Ancestry.com. When he told his boss about it, Brown claims, the police chief called him “Kunte”— the African-American main character from the novel “Roots.”
Brown’s attorney Karie Boylan claims, after that, other officers began walking by Cleon pumping their fists and saying “Black Lives Matter.”
She says things escalated from there.
“As soon as my client told the others, the higher-ups in the city, that he was African-American, they thought it was a joke…They treated him as though he was less than them,” Boylan told WWJ’s Beth Fisher.
Anyone who is even vaguely familiar with the prevalent racism within police departments wouldn’t find this surprising, but it doesn’t make the alleged behavior any less sad. Brown’s coworkers even went as far to get him a Black Santa for their Christmas gift exchange — with “18%” scrawled onto the plastic figure in marker. The City of Hastings says the officer responsible for it eventually apologized.
Brown is seeking $500,000 in damages.
Watch a segment about the lawsuit below: