Hiring Controversy at LAPD

FARAI CHIDEYA, host:

We also have one more headline for me on the opposite coast. It, too, has to do with race and justice. In yesterday's headlines, we mentioned that the Los Angeles Police Department has promoted Captain Richard Webb, but Captain Webb once kept a noose in his office, and the city of L.A. once settled a lawsuit alleging that Webb had engaged in racial harassment, discrimination and retaliation.

The city admitted no wrongdoing and Webb maintains his innocence. But now a group of black police officers, the Oscar Joel Bryant Foundation has sent a letter to Chief William Bratton, protesting Webb's promotion. Sergeant Ronnie Cato is president of the foundation. He personally wrote that letter. Welcome, sergeant.

Sergeant RONNIE CATO (President, Oscar Joel Bryant Foundation): Good morning.

CHIDEYA: So Captain Webb says he has never used racial slurs in the line of duty, except when it's required for reporting reasons. Why don't you believe him?

Sgt. CATO: The captain - Captain Webb is less than truthful. Captain Webb has forgotten that I spoke to him two years after - well, two years ago. We put out a newsletter and we put out the facts that he used the word 120 times and he used it from the time that he was 10 and - another time, when he was a juvenile. He admitted to me that, and he reiterated to me, he said, well, haven't you used the word before? So it's not doubt in my mind that he had used that word.

But the problem with that, many people may say, okay, he used the word when he was 10 or he was, you know, a teenager and he never used that again when he's on the job, but let's follow the pattern of will.

CHIDEYA: Well, let me ask you about this, the discrimination case. Tell us about what the city specifically settled?

Sgt. CATO: They settled about $150,000. He was accused of sexual harassment, racial discrimination and about four or five other things. Several officers were involved. You had a black and a white couple that was sergeant. They testified under oath that Webb had discriminated against them because he didn't believe in mixed marriages. We had another hangman noose case where he was - he put a hangman's noose in his office. Webb is a 50-year-old man. He knows what a hangman noose means to African-Americans. It means hatred. It means Ku Klux clans. It means that the blacks are mistreated as second-class citizens. He knows that's what it represents, and he had that in his office while he was conducting his business as a - Los Angeles police captain.

When it was brought to his attention by an African-American employee there, well, he gets upset and calls the individual thin skinned. So he has no sensitivity towards African-Americans and how we feel about certain things. And then we had several more complaints. We had a complaint where an African-American also complained that he was mistreated by Webb. A white officer did the same, a similar incident in the workplace. We have transferred the black officer out and allowed the white officers to stay there.

So truly, we have a history and a pattern of Webb discriminating against African-Americans on this department.

CHIDEYA: Sergeant, we don't have very much time left, but his promotion, Webb's promotion, is a done deal. What is your group, the Oscar Joel Bryant Foundation, prepared to do is he is not reassigned or demoted?

Sgt. CATO: Well, I wouldn't say it was a done deal. His promotion may take place next month at some place, well, some documents - I'm saying, it takes place in October. But even if he is promoted, we're going to do what we can to make sure that the chief has the right information because the chief was not given the information that was on his deposition. We're going to make sure that we get that deposition and make sure that the chief receive that deposition, so he can see where Webb, in fact, used those words and testified under oath.

And I'm sure when the chief gets all the information, I think, that he would do the right thing.

CHIDEYA: Sergeant, thank you so much.

Sgt. CATO: Okay.

CHIDEYA: Sergeant Ronnie Cato is president of the Oscar Joel Bryant Foundation. He wrote a letter to LAPD Chief William Bratton protesting the promotion of Captain Richard Webb.

NEWS & NOTES also made calls to the LAPD's Media Affairs Department as well as to Chief Bratton and Captain Webb personally. They all declined to join us on the air, though, Captain Webb did say in his defense that he believe the truth of his case would come out.

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CHIDEYA: Just ahead, a new study says breast cancer survival rates are better than ever unless you're a black woman. And "Good Times" actor John Amos' new project is no comedy, it's history.

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CHIDEYA: This is NPR News.

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