Black Syracuse Officer Fails to Get Redo Over Social Media Memo

A Black Syracuse, N.Y., police officer failed to convince the Second Circuit to revive his lawsuit alleging that a memorandum raising concerns about his candidacy for an internal task force, based on social media posts, was discriminatory.

Brandon Hanks challenged the dismissal of his racial bias and retaliation claims under Title VII and the First and 14th Amendments against the city of Syracuse, police chiefs, and officers on the Gun Violence Taskforce. Hanks alleged the officers on the task force, who were White, “prepared a memorandum at their supervisor’s direction that raised concerns about Hanks’s candidacy” including incidents and ...