February 29th 2024.
A police officer from the Chicago Police Department has taken legal action against the city in an effort to officially change his recorded race. This decision was prompted by the department's recent allowance for officers to change their gender on official records. In a federal civil rights lawsuit filed in February of 2024, Mohammad Yusuf states that he has been denied the opportunity to change his race from "Caucasian" to "Egyptian and African American," which is how he currently identifies himself.
Yusuf recalls joining the force in 2004 and selecting "Caucasian" as his race on his official record. At that time, there were only three options available, including Black and Hispanic. However, the department now offers "over nine" different racial backgrounds for new officers. Despite this, the lawsuit claims that there is a blanket prohibition against changing an officer's race.
Despite multiple attempts, Yusuf claims that he was told he needed to provide a DNA test in order to have his race changed. In response, he provided the results of a "23 and Me" genetic test, which showed his heritage and ethnicity. However, the department still deemed it "not possible" to change his official record. This is in stark contrast to the department's decision to allow officers to change their gender to match their lived experience.
The lawsuit argues that this discrepancy has negatively impacted Yusuf's professional advancement. At 43 years old and with 20 years of service on the force, he claims that he has been overlooked for promotions due to his recorded race. He alleges that minority applicants have been given preferential treatment, with only a few Caucasian applicants receiving promotions. Despite scoring in the first promotional tier on a sergeant's exam, Yusuf has yet to be promoted and still remains at the same rank.
In his complaint, Yusuf accuses the department of issuing a disproportionately high number of merit promotions to minority candidates, with only a small number going to white candidates. He believes that he has been passed over for promotions in favor of less qualified candidates based on their race, specifically African-American officers who may have had disciplinary issues and may not have been suitable for the responsibilities of a sergeant.
The lawsuit also claims that the city's actions violate Title V of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as the "Racial Identity Policy Ban" discriminates against individuals based on their race. Yusuf believes that this policy unfairly targets individuals like himself who are seeking to change their recorded race.
Overall, Yusuf's lawsuit highlights the importance of addressing systemic discrimination within police departments and the need for fair and equal treatment for all officers, regardless of their race or gender.
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