Minneapolis, MN – A recent lawsuit against the Metropolitan Council has put a spotlight on alleged discriminatory practices within its Metro Transit Police Department. The legal action accuses former Chief of Police Eddie Frizell of racial and sexist discrimination towards two former officers, allegedly to cater to certain biases within the department.
Brooke Blakey and Sidney Jones, both former officers of the Metro Transit Police, are the plaintiffs in this lawsuit. They claim they were unfairly targeted and disciplined by Frizell, who was purportedly motivated by personal ambitions of furthering his career, with sights set on a U.S. Marshal appointment.
Blakey, who now serves as the Director of Neighborhood Safety for the City of St. Paul, alleges severe repercussions as a result of these discriminatory practices. She was demoted multiple steps down from her role as Captain and Chief of Staff to a mere officer. Similarly, Jones experienced a demotion from Sergeant to officer, following an Internal Affairs investigation that accused them of inappropriately accepting laptops as gifts for their children, a violation of the department’s no-gifts policy.
This lawsuit followed a finding from the Minnesota Department of Human Rights, which supported Blakey’s claims of discrimination. The complaint lodged in court seeks in excess of $50,000 in damages, reinstatement of both officers to their previous positions with back pay, expunction of the disciplinary actions from their records, and a public apology from the Metropolitan Council.
Additionally, Blakey and Jones have requested the court to mandate the cessation of discriminatory practices within the Metro Transit Police. The Metropolitan Council, the authoritative body that oversees the department, has been given 21 days to issue a response to the allegations.
The backdrop of this legal ordeal underscores a broader context of challenges faced by public institutions in addressing and rectifying internal discriminatory practices. This incident sheds light on the complexities of managing and policing within public agencies and raises questions about the extent of such issues beyond this particular case.
The legal representatives, A.L. Brown and the Capitol City Law Group, handling the lawsuit for Jones and Blakey, did not make an official statement beyond the filing details.
As the local community and stakeholders await the outcome, this case could potentially set a significant precedent for how discrimination allegations are handled in similar public agencies nationwide.
The facts, figures and other details in this article are drawn from the lawsuit and should be independently verified. Readers seeking the retraction, modification, or correction of details within this publication may contact [email protected]. Note that this article was generated using Open AI technology, and as such, accuracy of the events, circumstances and people mentioned cannot be guaranteed.