Aurora – The city will hire an outside investigator to look into claims of racial bias in the case of a black police sergeant who was passed over for promotion.
The city’s Civil Service Commission called a special meeting Tuesday and voted to hire Mountain States Employer’s Council to look into the allegations brought by Sgt. Tommy Williams.
“That’s all I asked for, to have someone independently look at the process,” said Williams, who attended the meeting. “It’s not a Tommy Williams issue. It’s an issue about the process.”
Williams was one of five candidates who took the lieutenant’s test in May and the only black candidate.
He scored high marks on written parts, which are administered by the commission. But he scored poorly on the more heavily weighted oral portion of the test, which is given by a private assessment center.
While pleased by the announcement, those who support Williams said they are still looking into filing a racial-discrimination lawsuit against the commission and the city.
“We need to see some diversity in the solutions,” said Glenda Wells-Evans, president of the Citizens Concerned About Minorities in Aurora. “As a community, we are not going to stand for any less.”
Police Chief Dan Oates was permitted to address the commission Tuesday, as was anyone else.
At last week’s Civil Service Commission meeting, Oates was denied a chance to speak because he hadn’t signed up far enough in advance to do so.
After the meeting, Oates said the controversy and “public turmoil” were taking a toll on his department.
“I think it’s a smart move,” Oates said of the outside investigation. “We have five strong candidates for lieutenant. It’s only natural they feel comfortable with the process.”
Commission chairman Richard Brown, who met with Oates earlier in the day, said all the specifics of the Wil liams case will be reviewed by Mountain States, as well as the entire evaluation process, to ensure fair testing.
He will also request that Mountain States’ evaluators be diverse, a request from several community members.
The 48-year-old Williams is a 10-year veteran of the department and has been in law enforcement for 24 years.
City Councilman Ryan Frazier applauded the commission’s decision for outside oversight, even if the results find bias.
“The bottom line is we need to do things right,” Frazier said.
Staff writer Carlos Illescas can be reached at 303-954-1175 or cillescas@denverpost.com.
