ECBAWM settled a suit on behalf of three Black detectives who were denied promotions within the elite Intelligence Division of the NYPD. The City will pay $700,000 in damages to the detectives, as well as $374,000 in attorneys’ fees. For well over a decade, the Intelligence Division maintained a subjective promotions policy, administered by white supervisors, who refused to promote deserving Black detectives. The three detectives joined the Intelligence Division in 2001 and assisted with the cleanup and investigation of the September 11 attacks. They tracked hundreds of leads and suspects. In spite of their achievements and strong recommendations from their direct supervisors, they were repeatedly passed up for promotion because of their race.

The settlement was reported in numerous papers, including the New York Daily News. The detectives’ experiences were also covered in an article on the New York Times’ front page, which led to a New York Times editorial. ABC, Spectrum NY1, the New York Daily News, and the New York Post also previously covered the case.

Key case documents:
Federal complaint
EEOC charge
EEOC Finding of Probable Cause of Discrimination
U.S. Department of Justice Right to Sue letter

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