White city leaders of the Maryland shore town of Pockomoke City held a meeting on August 3, 2015 to defend their actions in firing African-American police chief Kelvin Sewell. In addition, according to the AP, “The Justice Department sent community affairs representatives to a church gathering to listen to residents’ concerns.” The AP reported that there were “sharp exchanges between audience members, the mayor and Councilman George Tasker, who was accused of referring to supporters of Sewell as ‘you people.’ ”
Chief Sewell has stated that he was fired on June 29, 2015, because he refused demands by Pockomoke City Mayor Bruce Morrison, the city manager, and the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office that he fire two fellow African-American police officers who filed complaints saying they had been treated unfairly. The other two African-American police officers, Franklin L. Savage and Lt. Lynell Green, had EEOC complaints that they were working in a hostile, racist working environment.
The Washington Post states that “The officers alleged in complaints with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that they faced racism that was overt and rampant — allegations the city denies. Among the incidents alleged: a food stamp superimposed with President Obama’s face that was left on a black detective’s desk and a text message that read, ‘What is ya body count nxxxx?’ ”
Andrew G. McBride, co-counsel for the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs, told the Washington Post that “This is one of the most egregious cases of primary racial discrimination and retaliation for assertion of rights before the EEOC that I’ve seen.” “Chief Sewell has a fantastic record as a police officer. He was terminated because he stood up for two African American officers who filed an EEOC complaint.”
The Post report states that:
“Its current troubles began three years ago when detective Franklin L. Savage was detailed to the Worcester County Criminal Enforcement team. The eight-member task force was made up of officers from Ocean City, Dorchester County, Maryland State Police and Pocomoke City. Savage was the only African American assigned to it. Savage said that during his two years on the task force, he was consistently subjected to racism and discrimination, including the repeated use of the ‘n-word’ and references to the Ku Klux Klan. In December 2013, he walked outside for a lunch break and found a bloody deer tail on the windshield of his unmarked police car, he said in his EEOC complaint. A group of white officers stood nearby, laughing. Four months later, he alleged, the food stamp with Obama’s face superimposed on it was left on his desk. Savage, now 35, reported the incidents to his supervisor, but he said the behavior did not stop. ‘Each day I went to work, I felt hurt, ashamed and confused. Racism still exists,’ Savage said. ‘And we took an oath to do the right thing each day.’ The Maryland State Police Criminal Enforcement Division eventually found that Savage’s complaints against one corporal were justified and promised in a letter that the offender would be punished.”
“Last year, Savage returned to the Pocomoke City police department, where he said the harassment and discrimination continued. Savage said he was stripped of his title of detective and moved to administrative duty, checking computer serial numbers and clearing old files. He filed a complaint with the EEOC on July 21, 2014. Lt. Lynell Green said the harassment against him began after he attended a mediation session in support of Savage. ‘It all started when I stood behind Detective Savage,’ said Green, 49, who said his overtime pay was cut. ‘I’ve never experienced anything like that in my life.’ Green, a former Baltimore police officer who began working for Pocomoke City in 2011, filed an EEOC complaint March 15. ”
“During this time, Sewell said he was being pressured by Mayor Bruce Morrison, the city manager and the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office to fire the officers. Sewell filed an EEOC complaint March 9 and was fired after a 4-to-1 vote by the city council three months later.”
AP reports that “Diane Downing, the lone black member of the five-person council and sole vote against firing Sewell, said city officials and outside authorities wanted Savage fired because he could not be trusted after filing his EEOC complaint and would not be allowed to testify in court cases.”
Parts of the Maryland shore have been known for a greater tolerance of racist behavior and support for police brutality. We know the majority of people respect human rights and dignity, and we urge them to continue to speak out against such abuses. R.E.A.L. challenged the views of a Wicomico sheriff’s office in June 2015.