CLEVELAND, Ohio — A spokesman for the Akron Police Department has sued the city and accused it of discriminating against him in his attempt to gain a promotion.

Last week, Lt. Michael Murphy filed a lawsuit in Summit County Common Pleas Court that alleged officials and the city’s civil service commission enforced a rule that effectively blocks him from becoming a captain.

Akron requires a police lieutenant to spend two years in the position before being promoted to captain. Murphy has spent a year and three months in the job.

Murphy, who is Black, said Akron did not enforce the two-year requirement when promoting several white police officials, including Chief Brian Harding, in 2015 and 2017.

In 2017, one officer who was promoted to captain without first spending two years as a lieuten

See Full Page