Beloved ‘Dancing’ School Cop Sues Over Racial Discrimination

A beloved Black police officer within a California public school district is suing his former employer for racial discrimination and retaliation—which ultimately led to his termination.

In a lawsuit filed Oct. 20 against the Val Verde Unified School District and its accompanying police department, Zuriah McKnight said he instantly noticed differences with how he and other Black police officers at Val Verde were treated in comparison to their white colleagues after he was hired in Dec. 2019.

“Mr. McKnight continuously spoke up concerning [discrimination] and suffered from retaliation by [Val Verde Unified District],” the lawsuit says. “Due to the hostile environment, Mr. McKnight was forced to take medical leave for his own health. While on leave, Mr. McKnight was subjected to false investigations to which he was not informed of, in violation of the Peace Officer Bill of Rights, and threatened by his supervisors and Chief of Police.”

Read more at The Daily Beast.