RED THREAD

•

magazine

Fired For Being Jewish?

Former Ferndale police officer sues,
claiming anti-Semitism cost him his job.

Jackie Headapohl

I Managing Editor

T

roy resident Lowell Phillips,
47, is suing his former
employer, the Ferndale Police
Department, claiming he was fired for
being Jewish.
Phillips, a former Ferndale police offi-
cer hired in 2005, was fired in January
2011. He was the city's only Jewish offi-
cer until his firing, he claims in an eight-
page lawsuit filed in Oakland County
Court Jan. 9, naming as defendants the
city of Ferndale, its police department
and Chief of Police Timothy Collins.
In the suit, Phillips claims he endured
years of anti-Semitic harassment during
his time with the department. According
to the filing, after discovering that he was
Jewish, fellow officers, including com-
mand and supervisory personnel, began
to harass and discriminate against him.
Among the harassment, according to
the document filed with the court:
• He was constantly referred to as "AJ"
(Angry Jew).
• He was constantly told that "the Jews
killed Jesus:'
• He was told he should not attempt to
get Jewish holidays off because Judaism
was not a "real religion7
• When he made a mistake, he was
told "I thought Jews were supposed to be
smart:'
• Colleagues would express amuse-
ment at how Jews could not stay out of
the "gas chambers7
• He was subjected to numerous
remarks concerning the size of his geni-
talia as it related to his being Jewish.
• Flyers were printed and posted at the
police station derogatorily representing
him as "Super Jew — saving change,
one pocket at a time" and depicting a
stereotypical Jewish male in place of the
picture of the shark on the movie poster
Jaws and instead titling it "Jews."
The suit also claims that Phillips was
passed over for commendations and dis-
ciplined for conduct that was overlooked
in other officers.
According to the suit, any protest or
challenge to the remarks by Phillips
prolonged the episodes. At various times
throughout his employment:' Phillips

"voiced concerns and complained about
religious and racial discrimination/
harassment and disparate treatment" to
his supervisors, but those "complaints
were ignored and the harassment and
disparate treatment continued:'
According to the lawsuit, on June 24,
2010, Phillips was involved in a high-
speed chase. When he got out of the
vehicle to arrest the suspect, the man
reversed the car toward him, forcing
Phillips to fire and kill the man in self-
defense. An investigation by the Ferndale
Police Department exonerated him from
any wrongdoing or use of excessive force,
according to the suit
"Nevertheless, with no basis:' Phillips
was terminated from the force on Jan. 7,
2011. The suit alleges that he "was termi-
nated as a result of his race, religion and
in retaliation for complaining" about the
treatment he received.
He is seeking lost wages and benefits,
compensatory damages, and reinstate-
ment as a Ferndale police officer.
Phillips is represented by S. Jay
Ahmad of Ishbia & Gagleard P.C. in
Birmingham. Ahmad declined to facili-
tate an interview between Phillips and
the Jewish News.
Ferndale Chief of Police Timothy
Collins told the IN in a phone interview:
"Ifs a typical lawsuit, with inaccurate
information:'
Collins declined to answer any ques-
tions, saying that "Only time will tell, but
we're confident that we have the situa-
tion under control:'
He referred the JN to city of Ferndale
Human Resources Director Jennifer
Longthorne, who also declined to answer
questions. Citing the pending legislation,
Longthorne wrote in an email that "the
city is not at liberty to discuss this matter
any further at this time:'
Phillips' attorney says that he is pre-
pared to show visual evidence at trial of
the "Super Jew" flyer described in the
complaint.
The next step in the justice process
is awaiting the defendants' response,
after which, a trial date may be set by
the court
"I expect a trial will take place nine
months to a year from now," Ahmad
said.

❑

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January 16 • 2014 11

