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White Dover Officer Claims Discrimination in Police Chief Choice

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DOVER, Del. (AP) - A police captain in Delaware has filed a federal lawsuit claiming he wasn't promoted to police chief because he's white.

WBOC-TV reports Dover police Capt. David Spicer filed the lawsuit Oct. 16 after his discrimination and retaliation complaint to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission was dismissed.

Former Deputy Chief Marvin Mailey, who's black, was promoted to police chief in 2017. He retired earlier this year.

Spicer says in the lawsuit he was more qualified than Mailey because he has more degrees, training and experience. Spicer also says he was passed over for the role of deputy chief and then transferred to a new role that limited his future promotional opportunities.

Mailey, Dover Mayor Robin Chistiansen and several other defendants named in the lawsuit have declined to comment.

Don Rush is the News Director and Senior Producer of News and Public Affairs at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.