Cincinnati Police Chief Being Sued for Systemic Discrimination Against White Males [WATCH]
Four former members of the Cincinnati Police Department have initiated legal action against Police Chief Teresa Theetge and the City of Cincinnati, claiming systemic workplace discrimination against white male officers.
The complaint, submitted on May 19, accuses the department of participating in “intentional and discriminatory practices” based on race and gender.
The plaintiffs—Captain Robert Wilson and Lieutenants Patrick Caton, Gerald Hodges, and Andrew Mitchell—assert that they experienced professional setbacks, reputational damage, and emotional distress due to what they characterize as preferential treatment afforded to women and minority officers.
The lawsuit, examined by The Cincinnati Enquirer, specifically contends that the department made promotional and assignment decisions that favored women and minorities “to the exclusion of White men.”
“The city and Chief Theetge have actively and systematically engaged in efforts to promote, advance, and make promotion and assignment decisions that are advantageous to women and minorities, and to the exclusion of White men,” the lawsuit claims.
The officers allege they were denied access to preferred assignments, which frequently come with enhanced benefits and are deemed crucial for career progression within the department.
Since Theetge assumed the role of chief, the plaintiffs allege that the department has implemented a race-based quota system for promotions, particularly for advancing individuals to the rank of lieutenant.
The Cincinnati Police Department has declined to provide a response to a request for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation.
According to the lawsuit, the four officers are seeking compensatory damages, which include lost wages and benefits.
They are also seeking damages for emotional distress and are pursuing a jury trial.
Furthermore, they are requesting the court to issue an order that would prevent the department from engaging in any further discriminatory practices.
Attorney Zack Gottesman, who represents the officers, informed local news outlet WXIX that this lawsuit is indicative of a larger trend of purported discriminatory practices by the city and its police leadership.
“These cases collectively illustrate a pattern of systemic discrimination by the City of Cincinnati against white individuals, especially white male officers, in terms of promotions, assignments, and treatment in the workplace,” Gottesman stated.
“The City’s ongoing dependence on race- and sex-based policies, despite judicial decisions and evidence of rectified past discrimination, fosters an atmosphere of inequitable treatment and infringes upon constitutional rights.”
This lawsuit follows a series of recent legal actions involving the Cincinnati Police Department.
In early 2025, the city agreed to a $95,000 settlement with a white officer who had lodged a discrimination complaint regarding allegedly derogatory remarks made by her supervisor and colleagues.
In a ruling from 2021, a federal judge prohibited the department from implementing race- or sex-based quotas in its hiring and promotion practices.
Chief Teresa Theetge has faced significant public scrutiny following a high-profile violent incident in downtown Cincinnati.
In the early hours of a recent Saturday, a fight erupted on the streets, and video footage of the assault spread widely on social media.
The video appeared to show a group of individuals assaulting a man, with a female bystander subsequently being rendered unconscious.
During a press conference on Monday, Chief Theetge addressed the viral footage and criticized its dissemination and coverage.
“Social media, the posts that we’ve observed, do not represent the complete incident. That is merely one interpretation of what transpired. At times, social media and mainstream media, along with their commentaries, misrepresent the context surrounding any particular event,” she remarked.
“This creates challenges for us in conducting a thorough investigation of the activity and enforcing the law. Because what occurs is that social media posts…