A Florida police chief was fired over alleged discrimination. But the narrative had quite a plot twist, considering the age we live in.
On Thursday, Fort Lauderdale City Manager Chris Lagerbloom fired Chief Larry Scirotto, who had been hired just six months ago because Scirotto made decisions about hiring and promotions based on a “minority-first approach” that city administrators considered improper. That was according to an Associated Press report on Monday.
Scirotto was a former assistant chief in Pittsburgh, the AP reported. He also was the first openly gay top cop hired in Fort Lauderdale, and is mixed-race.
As the AP reported, “An investigation into the bias complaints concluded that Scirotto was unfairly focused on minority candidates for jobs.”
A report on MSN.com noted that a lawyer from outside the department investigated the allegations. His report was based on interviews with 21 department employees.
The former chief once claimed that an array of department photos on a conference room wall was “too white,” and added, “I’m gonna change that.”
The AP noted that with one promotion on the table, Scirotto asked which candidate was “blacker.” He also pledged to “consider diversity at every opportunity.”
In one instance, the former chief was aiming to fill a vacant captain’s post. Among his advisers, there was unanimous opinion that the person best suited for the job was a lieutenant who had recorded the second-highest score during testing and had 20 years of experience. Those around the chief said the lieutenant was “very easily” the top choice.
Scirotto rejected the lieutenant because he was a white man.
When one staffer objected, the former chief claimed he was looking for the person that was “more acceptable” to the community. He went with the man who was deemed “blacker.”
Fort Lauderdale is 61 percent white, and 32 percent black.
The internal investigative report into the HR complaint cited by the AP noted, “Overall, there is a very divisive atmosphere within the department based on the perception the chief is intentionally using race, gender and sexual orientation as attributes necessary for promotions.”
“While the goal to diversify is an important and laudable goal,” investigators added, “it must be accomplished in a legally permissible manner.”
Scirotto has denied any wrongdoing and is threatening legal action to get his $200,000-a-year job back, local media reported Monday.
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