GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) - Two white men said they were the victims of illegal retaliation after objecting to how the Michigan State Police was trying to diversify the workforce.
Michael Caldwell, who was demoted, and Robert Hahn, who was fired, filed lawsuits Monday in federal court in Grand Rapids. They said they voiced objections after state police Director Joe Gasper last fall told command officers that the department was “way too white and way too male.”
Caldwell and Hahn said racial and gender preferences in public employment violate the state and U.S. constitutions, especially a 2006 state referendum. The lawsuits name Gasper and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer as defendants.
“My clients do not object to diversifying the MSP. … My clients could care less if the MSP was 90% black and 10% white if those percentages were the product of merit, efficiency and competence as required by the state constitution,” attorney Jim Fett said.
A state police spokeswoman said the allegations in the lawsuits hadn’t been fully reviewed yet.
“I can confirm that in late March, following an internal investigation that revealed they violated department policy related to the promotion process, Robert Hahn was terminated from employment and Michael Caldwell was demoted and reassigned,” Shanon Banner said.
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