Sergeant told to tone down 'gayness' to lead diversity unit

A gay St. Louis County police sergeant who was awarded nearly USD 20 million in a discrimination lawsuit has been promoted to lieutenant and picked as the leader of a newly created diversity and inclusion unit.

Police Chief Jon Belmar said in a news release Thursday night announcing the unit that the department "must demonstrate to our officers and to our community that we prioritise diversity and inclusion."
The announcement comes after a jury ruled in October in favour of Keith Wildhaber, who says he was passed over for promotion 23 times and was told to "tone down" his "gayness."
Riggan described it as "hopefully a crucial first step for the county in making necessary changes to its culture in order to better serve the citizens."
He said he hoped mediation would "achieve a fair resolution that allows the parties to put an end to this difficult and long-running litigation battle."