A Little-Known Police Lawsuit Reveals Just How Damaging DEI Can Be

The law enforcement veteran believes that being hired merely for DEI reasons is not only unfair to more qualified applicants, but also dangerous.

We’ve all been there, I’m sure.

Sitting there in the midst of a job interview and feeling like you nailed everything just right, hoping you’ll get the call that you were accepted. And then… receiving an email indicating that they decided to go with someone they feel is “more qualified” for the role.

Hurts, doesn’t it?

I understand some businesses have different practices than others and are looking for that person who is a “fit” for them. But to turn away someone who has the experience for the job? That’s just nonsense.

And apparently, according to a lawsuit filed against the Michigan State Police (MSP), that’s what happened to a former police inspector.

According to Law Enforcement Today, Patrick Morris filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court Eastern District of Michigan, noting that he had been passed over for a crucial promotion to captain and division commander.

But it wasn’t because he wasn’t qualified. He noted that MSP director Colonel James Grady II had passed over him to hire an “unqualified” lieutenant based solely on his race and gender, following DEI policies the state had put in place.

Morris, a 29-year MSP veteran, is seeking $75,000 in damages, the promotion in question, and an injunction against Colonel Grady according to CBS Detroit. Inspector Morris reportedly served as the acting captain and commander of the Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division. Morris reportedly applied for a promotion to make his acting role permanent and was denied by Grady, because he is white and opposes the State Police diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policy, specifically in favor of a black candidate.

For those unfamiliar, DEI stands for “diversity, equity and inclusion.” It’s sold as a measure to provide equality for everyone. However, as you can see, based on this lawsuit, it gives some people preferential treatment over others based not on merit or experience but rather race, gender, and other factors. It injects politics into personnel matters and actually creates division despite promising to do away with it.

Morris believes Grady had a “radical view of DEI” when it came to the hiring process, deliberately ignoring his experience in favor of finding a black candidate. Morris also noted that “the Michigan State Police Diversity, Equity and Inclusion program is a license to violate state and federal law and a vehicle for reparations.”

As shocking as this is, it doesn’t surprise me. So many corporations believe that DEI is the answer, and yet we see failure after failure from these choices. Just ask Bud Light how many millions they lost trying to buy into a DEI strategy when they partnered with a transgender activist and turned against their core customers. Or, for that matter, Disney, which bought in big with DEI-friendly scripts at the expense of telling entertaining, engaging stories, only to lose major cash flow – and the trust of many of its fans.

But when it comes to the police, it’s a much bigger deal. Here’s why.

The only official comment to come from the lawsuit was from MSP spokeswoman Shanon Banner, who noted that “the MSP makes promotions based on merit, performance and organizational need.”

Merit and performance, I can totally understand. But I have to question the “organizational need” part, especially if Morris’ statements turn out to be true.

Here’s the bigger problem, though. If Michigan is, in fact, hiring more based on DEI needs than actual experience, it could be dangerous.

The reason for this is that if police needs actually rose, the candidate they promoted instead of Morris could be inexperienced. As a result, a report could be flawed or incorrect, inappropriate actions could be taken in critical situations, and lives could be put at risk. When it comes to police matters, that is the last place you want to be.

After all, the role of the police is to protect innocent civilians while taking care of criminal matters. Someone like Morris sounds like he knows exactly how to do his job, compared to an “unqualified” person simply put in place for, let’s say, “organizational need.”

Again, it’s hard to tell without getting both sides of the story here. But based on MSP’s official response, I do hope this gets a closer look. It could serve as an example of how DEI has damaged standards by injecting politics into critical decision-making. It promises to treat people with inclusion across the board, but apparently, it would rather hold others back for the sake of pounding its message home.

I can totally see why President Donald Trump despises it so much. I hope he keeps going on his initiatives – and maybe takes a closer look at the Michigan State Police as well.