Wyoming's first black sheriff fired a white deputy who allegedly tormented the only black officer in the department with the n-word for years before the fed-up cop quit.
The discrimination suit, filed last week in the U.S. District Court in Cheyenne, claims Albany County Patrol Sgt. Christian Handley subjected Cpl. Jamin Johnson to 'overt and abhorrent racism' when they were both deputies from 2011 to 2014.
Handley was then promoted and continued hurling racial slurs like the n-word and 'jigaboo' at his underling before Johnson handed in his resignation in 2017, according to the lawsuit
Handley displayed 'racism, bigotry and discrimination in the workplace (that) almost defies belief,' the lawsuit states.
In late 2020, Aaron Appelhans took over in Laramie, becoming Wyoming's first black sheriff, and reviewed the allegations early last year. He fired Handley soon after.
A new lawsuit claims that Albany County Patrol Sgt. Christian Handley (pictured) discriminated against fellow officer Cpl. Jamin Johnson for years
Sheriff Aaron Appelhans' was appointment as Wyoming's first black sheriff in 2020 and reviewed allegations against Handley after taking the job
Less than one percent of Wyoming's 600,000 residents are black and in Albany County 90 percent of residents are white, with a majority of the remaining ten percent identifying as Hispanic, CBS Denver reported.
Johnson alleges that Handley used racial slurs to refer not only to Johnson but to black citizens he came in contact with on the job, including four University of Wyoming students who were in a vehicle he once pulled over. The suit didn't provide the reason for the stop.
Handley also allegedly drove past and yelled a profanity and the n-word at Johnson while Johnson and his wife and children were walking out of their home.
'Mr. Handley later apologized for having not realized that Mr. Johnson's family was present, as if his vile racism was otherwise acceptable,' the lawsuit said.
In one instance, Handley allegedly told Johnson that being intimate with a black woman would be degrading.
'That is like having sex with a dog,' Handley is accused of saying, according to the lawsuit
Johnson claims that soon after being promoted to patrol sergeant in 2016, Handley wrote a performance review accusing Johnson of engaging in several forms of misconduct over the previous year.
Johnson claims the performance review indicated Handley was taking notes on Johnson and 'decided to unleash pent-up racism' after becoming his boss.
Handley also wrote 'several other sham disciplinary actions' against Johnson, 'all designed to force his resignation,' the lawsuit alleged.
Handley (pictured) also allegedly drove past and yelled a profanity and the N-word at Johnson while Johnson and his wife and children were walking out of their home
Handley allegedly began subjecting Johnson to 'overt and abhorrent racism' when they were both deputies from 2011 to 2014 and Johnson was the department's only black officer
The lawsuit calls Handley's claims 'utterly unsubstantiated,' but says he nonetheless persuaded former Sheriff Dave O'Malley to issue an ultimatum to Johnson: Either accept a suspension and demotion to patrol deputy, or leave the sheriff's office. Johnson soon resigned.
Johnson is suing Handley, seeking a jury trial if necessary and damages for the years of racism that he says led up to his decision to quit in 2017.
Handley did not respond to a request for comment. He has 60 days from when the suit was filed on Jan. 18 to reply.
The sheriff's office in Laramie, the Albany County seat, gained notoriety for the murder of gay University of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard in 1998, a crime that drew unprecedented attention to LGBTQ rights and hate crimes.
Appelhans said he wasn´t aware of the alleged racist behavior until shortly after he started the job.
An internal review two months after Appelhans took office found that despite Handley's 'widespread and well-known' racism, Handley was emboldened by getting preferential treatment for promotions ahead of the more-experienced Johnson, the lawsuit alleges.
Appelhans fired Handley after the investigation in early 2021, according to the lawsuit.
The new sheriff said he has made changes in the past year to ensure that all policies are followed, to move internal investigations out of the sheriff´s office to the county human resources office, and to personally sign off on all hires, promotions and dismissals.
'It's just disappointing to learn how long it had been going on prior to my arrival,' Appelhans said. 'I'll always continue to make sure that our department is not only welcoming to those who want to work in our department but welcoming to those in our community as well.'
Johnson alleges that Handley used racial slurs against black citizens he came in contact with on the job, including four University of Wyoming students who were in a vehicle he pulled over
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