I-TEAM: White man files discrimination suit against Cleveland

[Editor’s Note: You can watch previous FOX 8 I-Team coverage as questions were raised over Cleveland police commission nominees.]

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WJW) – The FOX 8 I-TEAM has found more turmoil surrounding the Cleveland Community Police Commission, a group set up to oversee police policies and discipline.

The Interim Executive Director has just filed a lawsuit against the mayor, the city and others claiming he has suffered discrimination because he’s a white male.

Meantime, yet another Commission member has resigned, and the city is now looking for a total of 9 new members.

The city created the commission nearly two years ago, and it still has not heard a case. Instead, the group has been meeting to set up its systems and protocols while repeatedly making headlines for chaos and infighting.

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The lawsuit was filed in Cuyahoga County Court on behalf of Interim Executive Director Jason Goodrick.

The suit said his job title has fluctuated between Executive Director and Interim Executive Director, but the complaint adds, he “was not paid the rate of the interim executive director or the executive director during his tenure as interim executive director because of his race and gender.” And, “because he made complaints about discrimination.”

The suit also said that one commissioner said Goodrick should not lead the group “because Goodrick was a “white man” and an “abuser of Black women”.

In the lawsuit, there’s a reference to employees filing complaints against Goodrick in 2018 accusing him of carrying out discrimination and harassment. But, the suit said the Ohio Civil Rights Commission found those claims to be unsubstantiated.

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As for the Mayor, the lawsuit said Mayor Justin Bibb rejected Goodrick as permanent Executive Director even though he had been nominated by a majority of the commissioners.

The city just learned of this lawsuit earlier today and are currently reviewing it.

This comes as the Commission is in the midst of significant turnover.

Former co-chair Jan Ridgeway became the latest to turn in her resignation. She told the I-TEAM, “It’s just a dysfunctional board.  We all need to learn to work together better.”

Given resignations and expiring terms, the city is now seeking applications for 9 members to join the Community Police Commission in December.

Last month, a dispute at a commission meeting led to a call to 9-1-1, and it tied up responding Cleveland Police officers for 45 minutes.

We’ve also seen Police Commission meetings get loud, and even wild, before.

A protest even erupted at the moment the City introduced the Commission.

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