by Daniel Johnson
Might 18, 2025
A white 27-year veteran of the Akron Hearth Division filed a lawsuit towards 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 received the job.
Michael Haas, a 27-year veteran of the Akron Hearth Division, has filed a lawsuit towards 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 line with WKYC, Haas alleges that town’s “Rule of 5” coverage—which lets management select from the highest 5 candidates after interviews—was weaponized to discriminate towards him primarily based on his age, race, and gender.
Haas can also be arguing that Lash’s disciplinary file was expunged in order that she may very well be thought-about 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 remedy whereas white candidates like himself acquired penalties for related conduct.
In line with Sign Akron, Lash 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 towards him to learn Lash primarily based 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, based on the grievance. The go well with additionally accuses Tucker, who can also be a Black man, of getting some form 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 partaking in discrimination towards him and who he says retaliated towards 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 grievance. 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 towards Henderson et al, Hass desires to be given “one of many positions to which he was entitled,” all adverse 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 instances like these, a 2019 article in Scientific American set forth that, surely, reverse discrimination, that’s, discrimination towards white individuals, just isn’t changing into extra frequent, regardless of their emotions.
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