Former Alachua County Sheriff’s Office sergeant wins $15M racial discrimination verdict

Former Alachua County Sheriff's Office sergeant wins $15M racial discrimination verdict

Following a week of testimony, a jury on Friday awarded more than $15 million in damages and loss of wages to a former Alachua County Sheriff’s Office employee who was found to have suffered racial discrimination under the administration of former Sheriff Clovis Watson Jr.

The unanimous six-person jury agreed that Kevin Davis, who is white, was passed over by Watson, who is Black, for promotions and transfers in favor of less-qualified Black officers. The verdict mandates that the sheriff’s office pay Davis $15 million in damages and an additional $115,724 for loss of wages and benefits. The sheriff’s office will pay damages from a risk management fund.

“Today, the justice system worked. Justice is slow, but it works,” Davis’ attorney, Bobi Frank, told The Sun after the verdict was read.

Frank said she was not surprised by the verdict but more relieved. At the end of closing arguments, Frank asked the jury to award Davis $3 million to $8 million in damages and $115,724 for loss of wages.

Former Alachua County Sheriff's Office Sgt. Kevin Davis and his attorneys embrace Friday following the verdict in his racial discrimination lawsuit.

Former Alachua County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Kevin Davis and his attorneys embrace Friday following the verdict in his racial discrimination lawsuit.

“I think the verdict speaks for itself,” Frank said. “The jury wanted to send a message that we got more than what we asked for.”

Attorney Wayne Evans, who represented the sheriff’s office, said the actions of Watson, who was not present when the verdict was announced, were not racial discrimination.

“This shows that this case is all about assumptions and people want to say and believe what they want to hear,” Evans said.

In his closing argument, Evans said multiple times that Watson never discriminated against his employees based on race. He said Watson did not promote Davis due to Davis having a consistent “antagonistic attitude” toward leadership.

“Former Sheriff Watson gave 150 promotions to his employees: 120 were white and 30 were Black,” Evans said.

Both Watson and Davis testified on Thursday.

Former Sheriff Emory Gainey and current Sheriff Chad Scott also testified during the trial.

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According to the lawsuit, filed in February 2023, Davis — a sergeant in the patrol division — had received “many promotions” during his time with the sheriff’s office before Watson was sworn in as sheriff in January 2021.

The lawsuit states that Davis scored well on a lieutenant promotional exam taken in September 2021 and was among the top three candidates from the 2019 “promotional assessment process.”

After he was passed over for a promotion, Davis made internal complaints regarding what he considered Watson’s discriminatory practices.

The lawsuit goes on to detail seven other instances when a “minority candidate was promoted, reassigned, or otherwise selected over a Caucasian candidate, with the deciding factor being race.”

“Since (Watson) took office, Davis, and other Caucasian employees, have continuously been passed over for promotion and transfer because of their race by the Sheriff and Undersheriff,” the lawsuit says.

According to the lawsuit, Watson also required that a photograph be included with all “paperwork for promotions, transfers and special assignments.”

“This request serves no other purpose than to confirm the race of the employee,” the lawsuit says.

The lawsuit later contends that Davis was passed over for a promotion again in favor of two Black employees in August 2022. That prompted Davis to file a complaint with human resource; however, he was told by the HR director that the promotion decision “was not grieve-able”

And in January 2023, according to the lawsuit, in an “act of retaliation,” two white employees were promoted to lieutenant, despite Davis having better test scores and more experience as a supervisor.

The lawsuit lists several command positions previously held by white employees that Watson filled with Black employees, including undersheriff, the director of operations, director of human resources, chief inspector for the Office of Professional Standards, director of the jail, and the technical services division manager.

“Upon information and belief, 100% of the Black employees who have been eligible for promotion since Watson became Sheriff have been promoted, based at least in part on their race,” the lawsuit says.

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Sergeant wins lawsuit against Alachua County Sheriff’s Office

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