Syracuse, N.Y. — A federal judge has dismissed Syracuse Police Officer Brandon Hanks’ discrimination lawsuit which alleged the police department cultivated a “Jim Crow” racist culture.
Senior U.S. District Judge Gary L. Sharpe issued his 18-page decision Friday, ruling that one of the department’s most recognizable Black officers hadn’t shown that actions taken against him were motivated by racial animosity.
Hanks filed the federal lawsuit in August 2021, alleging the police department cultivated a discriminatory culture.
As proof, Hanks pointed to an internal department memo written by Capt. Tim Gay that said Hanks is affiliated with gang members in an effort to deny him a promotion to a gang violence unit. He noted Deputy Chief Richard Trudell’s admission that he had used racial slurs in the past. Hanks also alleged that his department unlawfully surveilled him in an attempt to dig up information that would undermine his career.
Sharpe ruled that Gay’s actions -- and Hanks’ denial of transfer to the gang unit -- weren’t severe enough to sustain a racial discrimination claim. Nor was Hanks’ written reprimand for a social media video that contained rap music. There was no proof that anyone had used racial slurs against Hanks, regardless of what the deputy chief had done in the past, Sharpe noted.
And Hanks hadn’t shown any specific proof that he had been illegally targeted for surveillance, the judge ruled.
The Syracuse police department has long struggled to recruit and retain minority officers. For more than four decades, the city has operated under a court agreement that allows the department to prioritize the hiring of Black officers.
As of last year, only 10% of the department’s officers were Black, while Black workers comprised 28% oflocal the labor force, according to court documents.
The office of Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh offered a brief statement following the judge’s ruling.
“The dismissal supports the City’s position that the allegations do not reflect the culture or practices of the Syracuse Police Department,” said Greg Loh, the mayor’s chief policy officer.
Hanks, who is from Syracuse and became well known for playing basketball with kids while on duty, told syracuse.com | The Post-Standard he sued after coping with persistent rumors that he was a gang member. When those rumors led to an effort to keep him off the special gang unit, he said he’d had enough.
Syracuse Police Officer Brandon Hanks takes on a one-on-one challenger on the basketball court during the 10th Annual Near Westside Multicultural Block Party at Skiddy Park in Syracuse, August 15, 2019. (Michael Greenlar | mgreenlar@syracuse.com)Michael Greenlar | mgreenlar@syr
It’s unclear what Hanks will do next. One of his lawyers, Jesse Ryder, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the judge’s dismissal. But a year ago, Hanks predicted that his lawsuit would forever color his career.
“There’s no bright future for me here in the police department now,” he told Syracuse.com in August 2021.
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Staff writer Douglass Dowty can be reached at ddowty@syracuse.com or 315-470-6070.