Lawsuit: CPD cops allege racial divide in department, call out 'vindictive, racist' lieutenant

A lawsuit filed this week in federal court alleges a racial divide in the Cincinnati Police Department, where black officers are favored over white officers through "race-based" double standards.

At the center of the lawsuit's dispute, Lt. Danita Pettis, a former District 4 lieutenant. Pettis has since been moved to District 3.

Two white officers, Tamera Brown and Joy Ludgatis, allege in the lawsuit that Pettis, who is black, is a "vindictive and openly racist police officer.” It says she has engaged in conduct that, but for her race, would have resulted in discipline “and/or criminal charges.”

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court, names the City of Cincinnati, Mayor John Cranley, Pettis, Acting City Manager Patrick Duhaney, former City Manager Harry Black, Police Chief Eliot Isaac and the Sentinels Police Association. It alleges discrimination, a hostile work environment, retaliation and unlawful employment practices.

The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages.

It's the latest development in an ongoing feud within the department that involves the police chief, FOP President Dan Hils and tension in District 4, which polices Mount Auburn, Corryville, Walnut Hills, Avondale, North Avondale, Paddock Hills, Bond Hill, Roselawn, Carthage, and Hartwell.

Pettis was a day-shift commander, but the lawsuit alleges she was promoted based on race alone, despite problems.

"Pettis is... unfit and lacks the character and integrity to serve as a police officer," the lawsuit said.

Specifically, the lawsuit accuses Pettis of:

"Allegedly stealing money" from a Fifth Third Bank while on a detail

Falsely representing credentials to gain access to the jail so she could advise “rape suspect/family member how to avoid prosecution”

Committing theft in office

Abusing her role as a union representative for the Sentinals, the advocacy organization for black Cincinnati police officers, in an effort to obstruct justice.

"Pettis' behavior was so hostile, demeaning and unprofessional that the entire third shift of District 4 sent a memo to Isaac requesting a conference regarding Pettis' practices of verbal abuse and emotional intimidation and their collective fear of unfair retaliation."

Pettis declined to comment Wednesday evening.

The memo, attached to the lawsuit, was written on Nov. 26, with the subject line, "Hostile work environment." It's unclear if there was ever a conference.

The lawsuit says the atmosphere of racial tension in the department has gotten so bad it has caused "open hostility between officers of different races." That hostility has "jeopardized officer safety."

The lawsuit says that in November 2017 District 4 police officers grew upset with Pettis' leadership. They allege during a roll call Pettis did not let officers assist white officers, who called for help in response to a "shots fired" radio call.

Officers who work in District 4 called on Hils, the union president, to help, but that meeting resulted in its own set of issues.

In another roll call, Hils called Avondale an "urban ghetto" and said he had "kicked (Pettis') a---" when arresting her 25 years ago during what she described as a family dispute. The comments created a stir with minority and neighborhood groups.

In December Pettis asked that Brown and Ludgatis be moved to a different district, a request that was granted.

An internal investigation resulted in written reprimands for both Hils and Pettis. Pettis was moved to District 3, where she does the same job she did in District 4.

Internal affairs investigators, according to files reviewed by The Enquirer earlier this year, found Pettis treated subordinates inappropriately.

More: Cincinnati FOP president Hils, CPD lieutenant reprimanded for 'urban ghetto' incident

More: Black police group unanimously votes no confidence in Cincinnati FOP President Hils

The lawsuit includes a May 24 internal memo Ludgatis sent to two superiors as well as Hils. The subject line: “Continued Discriminatory, Unprofessional and Disrespectful Behavior by Lt. Danita Pettis.”

Ludgatis says that at an April police union meeting attended by 128 members, Pettis “lied about me yet again” by claiming Ludgatis had been transferred in 2015 after being “found guilty of being a racist.” According to Ludgatis, the former union president, Kathy Harrell, stood up for Ludgatis at the meeting and explained the transfer was because she didn’t want to work for Pettis and didn’t trust her.

Ludgatis says Pettis the next day confronted Harrell and again accused Ludgatis of being a racist. According to Ludgatis, Pettis repeated an earlier accusation that the department’s peer review panel “was made up of all male white racists.”

“I question her mental stability,” Ludgatis said in the memo. “I perceive her hostility toward me only to be because I am female white. She singles out female whites to verbally attack and demean.”

As a result of the ongoing issues, the lawsuit says the city's failure to fix the hostile work environment "created by Pettis" has caused plaintiffs' health to suffer. Brown, a 15-year veteran of the department, has developed ulcers and Ludgatis, a 27-year veteran of the department, has trouble sleeping.

The Sentinels, named in the lawsuit, have been at odds with Hils for some time. In December, the organization took a vote of no confidence in Hils.

"Sgt. Hils does not value or respect CPD's African-American officers," said Eddie Hawkins, then president of The Sentinels, after the vote. "We pay the same dues to the Fraternal Order of Police as our white counterparts and deserve to be treated equally."

More: Black police group unanimously votes no confidence in Cincinnati FOP President Hils