by Daniel Johnson
Might 18, 2025
A white 27-year veteran of the Akron Hearth Division filed a lawsuit in opposition to town claiming he was unfairly handed over for a promotion in favor of a 49-year-old Black lady.
Cease me if this sounds acquainted: A 58-year-old white man is suing town as a result of a Black lady acquired the job.
Michael Haas, a 27-year veteran of the Akron Hearth Division, has filed a lawsuit in opposition to the Metropolis of Akron and its fireplace division, claiming he was unfairly handed over for a promotion in favor of 49-year-old Sierjie Lash, a Black lady who was appointed Captain.
In keeping with WKYCHaas alleges that town’s “Rule of 5” coverage—which lets management select from the highest 5 candidates after interviews—was weaponized to discriminate in opposition to him based mostly on his age, race, and gender.
Haas can also be arguing that Lash’s disciplinary report was expunged in order that she may very well be thought of for the function, citing a 30-day unpaid suspension in 2023 for off-duty teaching in his lawsuit that was overturned as additional proof of Lash’s supposed preferential therapy whereas white candidates like himself obtained penalties for related conduct.
In keeping with Sign AkronLash was beforehand Akron’s first Black lady deputy fireplace chief, and Haas’ lawsuit is almost singularly targeted on her; her title seems 72 occasions throughout the lawsuit’s 34 pages.
Spectacularly, Hass alleges in his lawsuit that AFD’s Chief Leon Henderson retaliated in opposition to him to learn Lash based mostly partially on the truth that they’re each Black.
Per the lawsuit, “In contemplating the right way to promote Lash to district chief, Henderson conferred with Natko and Clarence Tucker about the right way to skip Haas and different certified candidates in favor of Lash” due to her race and gender, in keeping with the criticism. The swimsuit additionally accuses Tucker, who can also be a Black man, of getting some type of “discriminatory bias” towards Lash.
Haas’ lawsuit additionally requests a everlasting injunction which requires the firing or demotion of supervisors whom he’s accusing of participating in discrimination in opposition to him and who he says retaliated in opposition to him as a substitute of investigating his claims together with Henderson, Assistant to the Mayor for Emergency Administration Joseph Natko, and Tucker, the Deputy Mayor for Public Security.
Hass’ lawyer, Bryan Spitz, would solely inform Sign Akron that “We’re very assured in our criticism. We’re dedicated to acquiring justice on this matter and for all workers.” In the meantime, the Metropolis of Akron’s spokesperson declined to touch upon an open piece of litigation.
Along with the injunction in opposition to Henderson et al, Hass needs to be given “one of many positions to which he was entitled,” all detrimental documentation in his personnel to be expunged, and a sum of greater than $25,000 in damages he feels he’s owed.
Though there appears to be an uptick in circumstances like these, a 2019 article in Scientific American set forth that, in truth, reverse discrimination, that’s, discrimination in opposition to white individuals, isn’t changing into extra frequent, regardless of their emotions.
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