TPD Cop Sues COT, His Boss, & Police Chief For Being Forced To Attend MLK Parade

[Conan71]

Must be a darn racist Tea B***er, eh?  Nope

Busby is at it again:

"TULSA, Oklahoma -- A Tulsa police captain is suing his major, the police chief and the City of Tulsa, saying he was ordered to attend the Martin Luther King, Jr. parade because he's black.

Captain Walter Busby has been on the department for about 30 years. He says the department violated his civil rights.

Busby says he was ordered by Major Walter Evans to attend the Martin Luther King, Jr. parade last year, even though he didn't want to. Busby says he felt his participation would make it look like he agrees with how the department treats African American citizens, but he does not.

The suit says Major Evans said it was embarrassing that so few African American officers participate in department-sponsored events such as the annual awards banquet, the Memorial service and the MLK parade.

It claims Major Evans told Busby, "The fact that we both share the same race as Dr. King and that the parade is held in the African American community is consequential."

Captain Busby says he asked for the day off, but Major Evans refused, so Busby attended the parade as ordered - under protest.

Captain Busby says after he filed a complaint with the City's human relations department, he was assigned an undesirable shift and given his worst job evaluation ever.

This is not the first time Captain Busby has sued the department. He was instrumental in the Black Officers Coalition lawsuit that turned into a consent decree and Department of Justice oversight for the department a decade ago."

http://www.newson6.com/story/15160540/tulsa-officer-sues

As usual, the white officer's coalition has not chimed in on this yet.

[AquaMan]

This is kind of an old story isn't it? Both time wise and philosophically. Its a case of challenging authority and the resulting abuse by that authority. Nothing more or less imo. We all face it in a corporate setting only most of us can do nothing about it. 

I don't understand why Busby can't see the public relations function that every police officer has to shoulder. Grumble if you want, then be a part of the team and go to the dang parade.

But I think mostly you just wanted to snark about the black officers coalition didn't you?

[patric]

I don't understand why Busby can't see the public relations function that every police officer has to shoulder. Grumble if you want, then be a part of the team and go to the dang parade.

The real story seems to be the retaliation for filing the complaint.

[Conan71]

You know, if Busby is that unhappy with his job, he's got enough years in he can just retire or find another job like the rest of us do instead of suing his employer every time things don't go the way he likes.

Just shining the light on one of Tulsa's biggest racists.

[swake]

Question, and I don't know the answer:

If you require him to go, fine I have no problem with that, it's his duty as an officer to do community outreach. Much like the other captain that refused to go the Mosque. Community outreach is part of the job, so too bad you have to go even if you don't want to.

But in this case they asked him to go because he is black. That's a really fine line. I understand the need to make sure that the black community knows that we have black officers, but is it ok to require an employee to perform an action specifically because they are of a particular race. My gut and all the HR training I have taken over the years tells me no.

[AquaMan]

Good question. What about non-english speaking employees? They are often hired because of their ability to speak a foreign language. Could they too refuse to go to a Hispanic or Multi-Cultural festival on political grounds?

[Conan71]

Question, and I don't know the answer:

If you require him to go, fine I have no problem with that, it's his duty as an officer to do community outreach. Much like the other captain that refused to go the Mosque. Community outreach is part of the job, so too bad you have to go even if you don't want to.

But in this case they asked him to go because he is black. That's a really fine line. I understand the need to make sure that the black community knows that we have black officers, but is it ok to require an employee to perform an action specifically because they are of a particular race. My gut and all the HR training I have taken over the years tells me no.

The irony here is his superior is black and could have gone to the parade himself as there's no doubt he knows what a pr*ck Busby is. 

Busby is the sort who is always going to blame someone else or something else for getting the short end of the stick rather than look at his own short-comings.  I'd like to read the copy of his job evaluation and see on what basis it was a lousy review. 

[swake]

The irony here is his superior is black and could have gone to the parade himself as there's no doubt he knows what a pr*ck Busby is. 

Busby is the sort who is always going to blame someone else or something else for getting the short end of the stick rather than look at his own short-comings.  I'd like to read the copy of his job evaluation and see on what basis it was a lousy review. 

I know what Busby is like, there's no defense of him here. But can you ask someone to do something because of race? I would say in most situations with most employers the answer is he!! no, but working as a police officer is not the same as other jobs.

Ability to speak a language is quite different and not protected.

[Teatownclown]

"the best cops are called peace officers" Lenny Bruce

Conan, look into Anytown. It might help with your conditioning.

[Conan71]

"the best cops are called peace officers" Lenny Bruce

Conan, look into Anytown. It might help with your conditioning.

A racist is a racist.  I call 'em as I see 'em.  Busby is a classic example as to why quotas suck.

Swake, in the private sector I really couldn't tell a black employee to call on a black customer simply because the two were black... at least I shouldn't based on similar HR training to yours.  When it becomes a matter of the PD needing to further it's relationship with the community, I still don't know that you can or should force someone to attend a function, especially if they have a personal objection to it.  That could fall into "hostile work environment" under employment law.

Again, the issue seems to be the undesirable shift change and poor performance review which set this off and that's where I think Busby is being a moron.

Just guessing, but I bet the TPD adopts a new "opt out" policy on public events for their officers.

[Teatownclown]

A racist is a racist.  I call 'em as I see 'em.  Busby is a classic example as to why quotas suck.

Swake, in the private sector I really couldn't tell a black employee to call on a black customer simply because the two were black... at least I shouldn't based on similar HR training to yours.  When it becomes a matter of the PD needing to further it's relationship with the community, I still don't know that you can or should force someone to attend a function, especially if they have a personal objection to it.  That could fall into "hostile work environment" under employment law.

Again, the issue seems to be the undesirable shift change and poor performance review which set this off and that's where I think Busby is being a moron.

Just guessing, but I bet the TPD adopts a new "opt out" policy on public events for their officers.

You really remove yourself from reality trying to link issues. Busby was mad at being used by TPD as a token.

So obvious. Has nothing to do with racism. More to do with being minimalized. Maybe Busby should go to Anytown with you or seek therapy to avoid taking things personally. And you could learn not to assume things. 

[sgrizzle]

Giving the good evaluations and nicer shifts to people who do their job as ordered as complaining is not the same as "retaliation" to those who do neither.

[Breadburner]

Lets not forget..."He claims he was asked to go because he is black".....

[swake]

Lets not forget..."He claims he was asked to go because he is black".....

Absolutely, with this clowns history who knows if that actually was the case.

[Hoss]

Absolutely, with this clowns history who knows if that actually was the case.

That might have been what he thought...did he actually ask.  I know that's a pretty stupid question, but one that if answered might absolve him of any forthcoming ridicule....oh.....naah