A black woman was promoted in the Akron Fire Department, but a white captain who was not selected is now suing for discrimination.

Have you ever heard this before? A 58-year-old white man is suing the city because a Black woman was selected for a job over him. Michael Haas, a dedicated member of the Akron Fire Department for 27 years, has taken legal action against the City of Akron and its fire department, claiming he was unfairly passed over for a promotion in favor of 49-year-old Sierjie Lash, a Black woman who was appointed as Captain.

According to sources, Haas believes that the city's "Rule of Five" policy, which allows leadership to choose from the top five candidates after interviews, was used to discriminate against him based on his age, race, and gender. He also argues that Lash's disciplinary record was cleared in order for her to be considered for the role, citing a past suspension in 2023 for off-duty coaching. Haas claims that this is further proof of Lash's preferential treatment, while white candidates like himself faced consequences for similar behavior.

Interestingly, Lash was previously the first Black woman to serve as Akron's deputy fire chief, and Haas' lawsuit seems to be solely focused on her. In fact, her name appears 72 times in the 34-page lawsuit. Haas even goes as far as to accuse the city's fire chief, Leon Henderson, of retaliating against him in order to benefit Lash because they are both Black.

According to the complaint, "In considering Lash for the role of district chief, Henderson spoke with Natko and Clarence Tucker about how to bypass Haas and other qualified candidates in favor of Lash, solely based on her race and gender." The lawsuit also accuses Tucker, another Black man, of having a "discriminatory bias" towards Lash.

In addition to seeking a permanent injunction that would result in the firing or demotion of the supervisors involved, Haas' lawsuit also requests that he be given one of the positions he feels he was entitled to, the expungement of any negative documentation in his personnel file, and more than $25,000 in damages.

While Haas' attorney, Bryan Spitz, is confident in their complaint and is determined to seek justice for all employees, the City of Akron's spokesperson declined to comment on ongoing litigation.

This case is just one of many in recent years that have sparked conversations about reverse discrimination, specifically discrimination against white people. However, a 2019 article in Scientific American revealed that this type of discrimination is not actually on the rise, despite some people's feelings. This is an important reminder that diversity and inclusion programs, such as scholarship programs for underrepresented minorities, are still necessary to level the playing field and promote equality.

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