CLEVELAND (AP) - Five black captains in Cleveland’s emergency medical services division have sued the city and its EMS commissioner alleging racial discrimination.
The lawsuit accuses the city and EMS Commissioner Nicole Carlton of treating the black captains differently than white co-workers.
The officers said at a recent news conference that they’ve been punished for conduct such as being late to work while white workers weren’t punished. They allege Carlton has given their white counterparts better shifts or sometimes rescheduled them because she said too many black employees were working at the same time.
The officers also allege retaliation over their complaints.
A message was left for Carlton. City spokesman Dan Williams says the city hasn’t received the lawsuit.
The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages and an order prohibiting discriminatory and retaliatory employment practices.
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