Chris Anderson
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
VENICE, Fla. — The Venice Police Department contains many fine officers who enforce the law and protect their community each day.
One of them is a “n-----.’'
That’s what Kenite Webb says he has repeatedly been called while on the job as an African American police officer in Venice, a lawsuit filed in United States District Court alleges. It is among several discriminatory actions taken against Webb by VPD officers and superiors that were in violation of Title VII and the Florida Civil Rights Act, according to the four-count federal complaint.
The lawsuit alleges that “a racially motivated attempt to compare Webb to a primate” was made when fellow officer William Long placed a banana in the trunk of their shared vehicle; Long told a Venice resident that “Black” was going to be fired soon; a yellow smiley face with a bullet through the head appeared on Webb’s computer, an investigative report was fabricated to have him decertified and several of his complaints went ignored by his superiors, including Chief Tom Mattmuller.
The complaint was filed Dec. 11 in Tampa against the Venice Police Department and the city of Venice alleging Webb was “continually and repeatedly subjected to severe and pervasive race discrimination” through the actions of Mattmuller, Human Relations Director Allan Bullock, Captains Michael Rose and Eric Hill, Lieutenants Todd Resch and Jessica Chappa, Sergeant Alexandr Gregoire, former Sergeant Ronald Perisho, Master Patrol Officer David Creasy and Long.
The suit alleges “supervisors and officers made offensive gestures and derogatory comments to Webb and verbally ridiculed and criticized Webb’s race.”
Mattmuller did not respond to calls or emails seeking comment. Bullock did not comment, citing pending litigation. Webb could not be reached.
Kerry Mack, senior partner of the Mack Law Firm, which is representing Webb, said “this man is a career law enforcement officer and lot of thought went into his decision to file.”
“It’s pretty outrageous, isn’t it?” Mack said.
On Nov. 1, 2018, Webb filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which was dismissed after an investigation was conducted. The EEOC said it was “unable to conclude the information establishes violations of the statutes.” It added, however, “this does not certify that the respondent is in compliance with the statutes.” Webb received a “right to sue” letter from the EEOC on Sept. 13 and then filed within the mandatory 90-day window.
After jobs with the Florida Highway Patrol and the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office, Webb was hired by the VPD in 2015 and remains employed there. He was one of two African Americans in the department when the alleged incidences occurred and has never been the subject of an investigation, records show.
Among the other allegations within the lawsuit, Long “repeatedly taunted Webb because he was African American” and told a Venice resident that “Black” was going to be fired soon. When Webb approached Chappa about the alleged incident he was told “he needed to have tougher skin in this line of work. People are going to say inappropriate things.” No action was taken.
On June 28, 2018, Webb opened a laptop in the patrol car he shared with Long and found the image of a large yellow smiley face with a bullet hole through the head. Webb told Gregoire, who shrugged his shoulders and didn’t report it.
On Dec. 26, 2017, Chappa ordered Webb to remove the word “n-----" that had been spray painted on six rocks in a park at Venice’s South Jetty.
Webb alleges Chappa ignored his objection to the order and rejected his request to have the city’s public works department remove the racial slur. Instead, Webb was ordered to spray paint over the vandalism and no investigation into the incident took place.
Three days later, at roll call, Webb approached Gregoire about speaking with then-Sgt. Andy Leisenring. Gregoire told Webb: “When you are done (performing oral sex on Leisenring) you can come (and perform oral sex on Gregoire). That’s what you all like to do.” Webb alleges in his suit that the comment was heard by three other officers.
Webb told Leisenring he wanted to file a complaint and was told “sometimes we do things inappropriately.”
Retaliation measures taken against Webb for making complaints included rejection for a better-paying position as a School Resource Officer, harsh scores on evaluations and the fabrication of an investigation by Gregoire and Resch to have him decertified.
Mack said Webb remains employed by the police department and does not fear any potential retaliatory measures taken against him for filing the lawsuit.
“How much more retaliatory can it be?” she said. “They could shoot him I guess. Or they could mind their P’s and Q’s.”