Ex- officer sues city police alleging racial threat

A former Columbus police officer has sued the Police Division, alleging he was subject to a racially motivated death threat and discrimination.

Eric Cornett, an AfricanAmerican and 23-year veteran of the division, resigned after he said he was repeatedly subjected to racial discrimination and harassment by a white supervisor.

According to the lawsuit filed in Franklin County Common Pleas Court in July, Cornett said the supervisor, Sgt. Eric Moore, referred to Cornett and an AfricanAmerican sergeant who declined to discipline Cornett as a “monkey,” an “ape” and another racial slur in 2014.

Cornett said he was later informed of a threat made by Moore to take Cornett and another black officer “out back and kill them.”

The lawsuit alleges that the division was aware of the issues but did not appropriately investigate them or discipline Moore.

Moore had been fired by Chief Kim Jacobs for other conduct but was later reinstated by an arbitrator.

Cornett alleges in his suit that he was forced to resign from the division and move out of Ohio for his safety.

Cornett filed a complaint with the Ohio Civil Rights Commission and the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission about potential racial discrimination in the division. The allegations included that African-American officers who reported racial misconduct were disciplined more harshly than their white counterparts.

Cornett is the second officer to sue the division related to Moore’s conduct and the division’s handling of it in the context of a larger racial-discrimination issue.

Officer Karl Shaw, a nearly 26-year veteran of the division, filed a lawsuit in April alleging a systemic pattern of racial discrimination in the division. That case has been moved to U.S. District Court.

Officer Denise AlexBouzounis, a spokeswoman for the division, said it is aware of Cornett’s lawsuit.

“Like any pending litigation, it would be improper for us to discuss details,” she said.