On March 4, 2016, the EEOC determined that the Intelligence Division, one of the most elite and prestigious divisions within the NYPD, discriminates against African-American detectives. Specifically, it found that “black detectives in general, received lesser and later opportunities for promotion consistent with their qualifications.” Former Intel Detectives Jon McCollum, Roland Stephens, and Theodore Coleman, represented by ECBAWM and the NYCLU, initiated complaints with the EEOC that led to this determination. For five years, the EEOC reviewed data and interviewed countless witnesses before reaching this conclusion. The EEOC then transferred the case to Justice Department, which, under Jeff Sessions’ leadership, refused to file suit.

To read the New York Times’ recent coverage of these detectives’ experiences in NYPD Intel, click here.

ECBAWM’s Elizabeth Saylor, Earl Ward, Eisha Jain, and Jessica Clarke, along with Chris Dunn with the NYCLU, represent Sara Coleman, the widow of Detective Theodore Coleman, and Detectives Jon McCollum and Roland Stephens.