{"id":2576648,"date":"2026-03-05T18:57:02","date_gmt":"2026-03-05T23:57:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/white-police-officers-sue-philadelphia-over-dei-promotions-say-they-were-passed-over-for-political-reasons\/"},"modified":"2026-03-05T18:59:54","modified_gmt":"2026-03-05T23:59:54","slug":"white-police-officers-sue-philadelphia-over-dei-promotions-say-they-were-passed-over-for-political-reasons","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/white-police-officers-sue-philadelphia-over-dei-promotions-say-they-were-passed-over-for-political-reasons\/","title":{"rendered":"White Police Officers Sue Philadelphia Over DEI Promotions, Say They Were Passed Over for Political Reasons"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">32<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fwhite-police-officers-sue-philadelphia-over-dei-promotions-say-they-were-passed-over-for-political-reasons%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2576648&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>White Philadelphia Police Department officers filed a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/chop-shooting-victims-family-slaps-seattle-with-a-federal-lawsuit-over-botched-communications\/\" title=\"CHOP Shooting Victim\u2019s Family Slaps Seattle With A Federal ... Over \u2018Botched Communications\u2019\">federal class-action lawsuit<\/a> against the city, the police department, and senior officials, alleging they were passed over for promotions due to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies. The suit, brought by America First Legal (AFL) on behalf of five white male officers, claims these officers were bypassed for captain and lieutenant positions in favor of non-white male candidates with lower exam scores, and it specifically targets the city\u2019s DEI-based \u201cRule of Five\u201d promotion system implemented after the death of George Floyd.<\/p>\n<p>The plaintiffs argue that promotions should be based on merit,experience,and performance,not race or sex,and AFL says DEI hiring practices undermine this principle. The case is framed within a broader national debate over DEI initiatives in government and public agencies,including references to Donald Trump\u2019s executive order to end DEI programs at the federal level and discussions about potential impacts on policing recruitment and funding.<\/p>\n<p>The article also notes supporting statements from AFL officials urging a broader challenge to DEI policies, and mentions public commentary from U.S. officials like EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas encouraging white employees who feel discriminated against to pursue claims, highlighting the politically charged environment surrounding DEI in employment and law enforcement.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>Several white police officers filed a lawsuit against the city of Philadelphia in federal court last week, alleging they were passed over for promotions due to diversity, equity, and inclusion policies.<\/p>\n<p>America First Legal filed a federal class-action <a href=\"https:\/\/aflegal.org\/press-release\/america-first-legal-files-class-action-lawsuit-over-the-philadelphia-police-departments-dei-hiring-and-promotion-practices\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">lawsuit<\/a> &ldquo;on behalf of white male Philadelphia Police Department officers who were passed over for promotions and denied advancement because of their race and sex.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;AFL is suing the City of Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Police Department, and senior law enforcement officials who implemented DEI hiring and promotion policies in an effort to ensure that the racial and gender makeup of the city&rsquo;s police force mirrors the city&rsquo;s population as a whole, regardless of individual merit,&rdquo; a news release said.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The plaintiffs and class representatives include five police officers &mdash; each with high civil exam scores, strong service records, positive annual performance reviews, and significant law-enforcement experience &mdash; who were bypassed for promotions to captain and lieutenant in favor of non-white male candidates with lower civil-service exam scores and lower rankings on the promotion-eligibility lists,&rdquo; the release continued.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The complaint directly challenges the city&rsquo;s &lsquo;Rule of Five&rsquo; policy, a DEI promotion system that the city adopted after the death of George Floyd for the purpose of allowing officials to <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >bypass higher-ranked white male candidates<\/a> in favor of lower-ranked female and minority candidates.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p> <script type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\tif ( getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"anyclipvideo\").remove() \t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\tdocument.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\", function() { \t\t\t\t\tfunction loadAnyclip() { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst container=document.getElementById(\"anyclipvideo\"); 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\t\t\t\t\tobserveElement(paragraphToObserve); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> <\/p>\n<p>Nick Barry, senior counsel at America First Legal, said that &ldquo;federal civil-rights law prohibits employers from making promotion decisions based on race or sex.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Put simply, employers cannot use protected characteristics to override merit,&rdquo; he described. &ldquo;Promotions must be based on excellence, experience, and performance, not on the race or sex of the candidate.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>America First Legal also included a warning to &ldquo;any public or private employer&rdquo; seeking to use DEI hiring methods, saying they will launch lawsuits against them.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;AFL is committed to rooting out and destroying DEI in the United States, and it will sue any public or private employer that uses illegal race or sex preferences in hiring or promotions. Hiring and other employment practices must be based on merit and excellence.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Upon assuming office, President Donald Trump signed an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/presidential-actions\/2025\/01\/ending-radical-and-wasteful-government-dei-programs-and-preferencing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">executive order<\/a> entitled, &ldquo;Ending Radical And Wasteful Government DEI Programs And Preferencing.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The Biden Administration forced illegal and immoral discrimination programs, going by the name &lsquo;diversity, equity, and inclusion&rsquo; (DEI), into virtually all aspects of the Federal Government, in areas ranging from airline safety to the military,&rdquo; Trump wrote.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;That ends today,&rdquo; the president declared. &ldquo;Americans deserve a government committed to serving every person with equal dignity and respect, and to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-uproots-biden-dei-initiatives-from-federal-institutions\/\" title=\"Trump Uproots Biden ... From Federal Institutions\">expending precious taxpayer resources<\/a> only on making America great.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Despite executive orders being directed at federal agencies and departments only, the commander-in-chief can still withhold federal funding to state and local entities if they do not abide by the directive.<\/p>\n<p>Houston Public Media published an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.houstonpublicmedia.org\/articles\/police\/2025\/03\/04\/515163\/as-trump-administration-targets-diversity-initiatives-policing-experts-worry-about-recruitment\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">article<\/a> last year admitting this was the case, adding that Trump&rsquo;s anti-DEI policies are trickling down to lower levels of law enforcement.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Because police departments are eligible to apply for federal grants for equipment or to help pay for an officer&rsquo;s position&hellip; there could be hesitance on going against the grain,&rdquo; the article read.<\/p>\n<p>The Trump administration has also been publicly encouraging individuals who believe they have been a victim of DEI polices to file lawsuits.<\/p>\n<p>Back in December, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Chair Andrea Lucas posted a video to the social media site X, encouraging white males who felt discriminated against to speak out.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Are you a white male who has experienced discrimination at work based on your race or sex?<br \/> You may have a claim to recover money under <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-justice-department-pick-helped-kill-pipeline-favored-by-key-senator\/\" title=\"Biden Justice Department Pick Helped Kill Pipeline Favored by Key Senator\">federal civil rights laws<\/a>. Contact the <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/USEEOC?\">@USEEOC<\/a> as soon as possible.<\/p>\n<p>The EEOC is committed to identifying, attacking, and eliminating ALL race&hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/BYjbld5zdv\">pic.twitter.com\/BYjbld5zdv<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas (@andrealucasEEOC) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/andrealucasEEOC\/status\/2001439099907961012?\">December 17, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Are you a white male who has experienced discrimination at work based on your race or sex? You may have a claim to recover money under federal civil rights laws,&rdquo; she wrote.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The EEOC is committed to identifying, attacking, and eliminating ALL race and sex discrimination &mdash; including against white male employees and applicants.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey==typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts={ \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs=[ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i=0; i <inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! ( opts[inputs[i]]=document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"' + inputs[i] + '\"]' ).value ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .required-message' ).style.display='block'; \t\t\t\t\t\treturn; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction input[type=\"submit\"]' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).src=firefly_loading_gif_url; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='inline-block';  \t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( 'ma subbing' );  \t\t\t\t\tif( firefly_post_id ) opts['post_id']=firefly_post_id;  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Send the data using post with element id name and name2*\/ \t\t\t\t\tvar posting=jQuery.post( firefly_ajax_url, opts );  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Alerts the results *\/ \t\t\t\t\tposting.done( function( response ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif( response.success ) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( response.data ); \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-confirm' ).style.display='block';  \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdataLayer.push( { 'event': 'submit-correction' } ); \t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> \t     \t\t\t\t\t\t     \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p style=\"border: 1px solid #f5f5f5; padding: 16px;\">Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/advertise-us\/?wj_source=article\">Advertise Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><script>console.log(\"ad slot (BA1)\")<\/script> \t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Several white Philadelphia Police Department officers filed a federal lawsuit last week, claiming DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) policies kept them from being promoted. America First Legal (AFL) filed a class-action suit on behalf of white male officers who say they were passed over for captain and lieutenant positions in favor of non-white male or female candidates with lower exam scores and lower promotion rankings. The suit targets the city\u2019s \u201cRule of Five\u201d DEI promotion policy adopted after George Floyd\u2019s death, which AFL says allows officials to bypass higher-ranked white male candidates in favor of lower-ranked minority or female candidates. The plaintiffs are described as officers with strong civil-service scores and solid records who weren\u2019t promoted despite merit.<\/p>\n<p>AFL\u2019s Nick Barry contends that federal civil-rights law prohibits promotion decisions based on race or sex, and that promotions must be based on merit, experience, and performance. AFL warns that it will sue any public or private employer that uses illegal race- or sex-based hiring or promotion practices, asserting a commitment to opposing DEI programs in the United States.<\/p>\n<p>The article also references President Trump\u2019s executive order aiming to end what he calls \u201cradical and wasteful\u201d government DEI programs, arguing that the Biden administration expanded DEI across the federal government and that such policies should be ended. It notes that, while the order targets federal agencies, it could influence state and local entities if they rely on federal funding or grants.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, the piece mentions that DEI policy shifts could affect law enforcement because police departments sometimes depend on federal grants for equipment or positions. It also notes that EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas publicly encouraged white men who believe they faced discrimination to file claims, posting messages intended to recruit such individuals to seek remedies under federal civil-rights law<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2576649,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Ben-Working-Feature-Image-2026-03-05T174322.568.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[16574,5102,4585,5522,3967],"class_list":["post-2576648","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-dei","tag-discrimination","tag-lawsuit","tag-philadelphia","tag-police"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Ben-Working-Feature-Image-2026-03-05T174322.568.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2576648","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2576648"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2576648\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2576652,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2576648\/revisions\/2576652"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2576649"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2576648"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2576648"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2576648"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}