Police sergeant files complaint of disparate treatment, racial discrimination at department

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    NEW LONDON, Connecticut (WFSB) — The City of New London has received an investigative report regarding a complaint by a member of the New London Police Department.

The report from Attorney Paula Anthony states the member of the New London Police Department complained off disparate treatment and racial discrimination over the past several years.

The complaint released by the New London mayor’s office says that New London Police Sergeant Cornelius Rodgers alleged he received disparate treatment relative to an internal police investigation following a reported use of force incident, which he admittedly punched a suspect in April of 2019.

Rodgers has been a police officer since 2003 and was promoted to sergeant in 2016.

He claimed that he has been unfairly targeted, disciplined, and made the subject of biased investigations by members of the department.

In addition to the 2019 incident, Rodgers claims that in December of 2016, he was told he could not wear work boots that other officers were permitted to wear; in June of 2017, he said he was disciplined despite the recommendation of the investigating officer that no discipline be imposed; in May of 2019, he claims he was unjustly investigated for abuse of sick leave; and in October of 2019, he was investigated for two interactions with a coworker in relation for prior complaints he made against this coworker, which he says were never investigated.

The mayor’s office released a statement saying, “The Mayor and the City Administration take this type of complaint seriously and will not tolerate any form of racial bias and or harassment in the work place.”

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