PITTSBURGH - A Penn Hills cop suspended for looking up his own license plate says Caucasian officers weren't subjected to that treatment.
Patrick C. Ford filed a lawsuit July 15 against the Municipality of Penn Hills in the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, alleging racial and national origin discrimination, as well as retaliation.
Ford, an Asian and Pacific Islander law enforcement officer employed by Penn Hills since January 2014, claims he faced repeated racist comments from Chief of Police Howard Burton and was denied opportunities to join the K-9 Unit and SWAT team due to his race and national origin.
Additionally, Ford alleges that after filing a discrimination complaint in September 2020, he was suspended without pay for a policy violation that white officers committed without facing similar disciplinary actions.
The lawsuit seeks back pay, compensatory and punitive damages, reinstatement or front pay, attorney's fees, and other relief.
Joel Sansone represents the plaintiff.