Cop says he was punished for complaining about racist cartoon used in training

SAN DIEGO (AP) — A San Diego police sergeant has filed a racial-discrimination lawsuit against the city claiming he was punished for complaining about a racist cartoon that was used in a training class, a newspaper reported Wednesday.

Ten-year department veteran Arthur Scott — who is black — says in the Superior Court lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was the victim of a hostile work environment and on-the-job retaliation after objecting, the UT San Diego reported.

San Diego police Chief Shelley Zimmerman said in a statement that the department will take the allegations “very seriously.”

“We will fully cooperate and support any and all investigations into this matter,” Zimmerman said.

At issue is a century-old newspaper cartoon mocking a black police officer in the city. It shows Chinese men in pigtails running in fear from an ape-like caricature.

The lawsuit said the cartoon was passed around in a training class without historical context on race relations.

Scott, 43, said he complained to a supervisor. He claims he was later passed over for a promotion, pressured into taking an undesirable transfer and threatened with disciplinary action “based upon frivolous allegations of misconduct.”

Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.