A judge has ruled there’s enough evidence to support a claim of racial discrimination by officials in the Maryland Office of the State Fire Marshal for a lawsuit to move forward.
The case was filed last February against Maryland State Police and the fire marshal’s office, where Deputy Chief Derek Chapman works.
The lawsuit alleged a culture of racism in the department. The lawsuit stated, “This case is about when the police are fearful of the police, their own brothers and sisters in uniform.”
In a ruling last week, a judge said there was enough evidence to support some of the claims in the lawsuit.
Following that ruling, Chapman, who is Black, spoke to NBC Washington and said he’s pleased Federal Magistrate Judge A. David Copperthite ruled largely in his favor.
“It made me feel good because someone is listening,” Chapman said. “And if you look at the whole entire case, you see it, it blows people away — but this is what happened.”
Among the allegations in the lawsuit, Chapman claimed he was retaliated against for “raising concerns with his supervisors as to racial issues.” The lawsuit also details alleged verbal abuse, bullying and harassment that are part of a “toxic culture” at the fire marshal’s office.
Chapman has claimed that his supervisor referred to him as “colored.”
So far Maryland State Police have not responded to the judges’ ruling.
However in a court filing on the case, the office of the Maryland attorney general stated that Chapman “has not alleged facts suggesting his treatment was based on race.”
There’s no date yet for another hearing in this case.
Chapman’s lawsuit is separate from a class-action lawsuit filed last year alleging racial discrimination by Maryland State Police officials. That case also remains ongoing.
In addition, the U.S. Justice Department announced last year it had launched a civil rights investigation to determine whether Maryland State Police engaged in racially discriminatory hiring and employment practices.
