White Officer Wins $200,000 in Failure to Gain Promotion

A federal jury has awarded a police officer $200,000, ruling that the city refused to promote him because he is white.

City officials had argued that Officer Joseph Paskvan was denied promotion to sergeant in 1988 because he displayed questionable judgment. He shot nine people, all minorities, during his first 12 years on the force. Two of them died.

Paskvan contended he wasn’t promoted because of his race. He scored third on the sergeant’s exam, and was the only one of the top 50 test-takers not promoted.

Kramer said he would ask a federal judge to order the city to promote Paskvan.