news-record.com

Skip to the site menu
Skip to search

NEWS

Advertisement | Advertise with Us

Former police chief sues city

Sunday, January 4, 2009

(Updated Monday, January 5 - 10:54 am)

By Amanda Lehmert
Staff Writer

Former police chief David Wray has sued Greensboro and the city manager for violations of his civil rights.

Wray claims that because he is white, the city discriminated against him by publicly stripping him of his authority and forcing him out of office in 2006, according to a complaint filed Friday in Guilford County Superior Court.

The suit also names City Manger Mitchell Johnson, both in his capacity as city manger and as an individual.

Johnson said Saturday he has not seen Wray’s lawsuit and could not comment on it.

“I followed this city’s processes and procedures with regard to administration and personnel,” he said. “I followed it to a T.”

Wray is asking for the city to cover his legal expenses from lawsuits brought by two police officers.

Wray is claiming damages in excess of $10,000 for loss of compensation and pain and suffering.

“We expect to get his legal bills paid, and we expect to get him reimbursed for damages,” his attorney Ken Keller said.

Wray, who now lives in Tennessee, and City Attorney Terry Wood could not be reached for comment.

The lawsuit comes a few days shy of the three-year anniversary of Wray’s resignation. The former police chief left amid controversy over allegations of internal racial profiling in the Greensboro Police Department.

In the suit, Wray claims the city manager deliberately made working conditions intolerable, communicated inaccurate information about him, and directed investigations to justify his termination.

The suit says the city manager tried to discredit Wray as a racist by making an issue of the “black book.”

In 2005, there were allegations that a black book was used to entice criminals to give false information about black police officers.

Wray has said the photo array, which contained photos of black police officers, was used to investigate an alleged sexual assault.

The city manager recently said the city could not prove the black book was used inappropriately.

The suit also claims Mitchell Johnson discriminated against Wray based on his race and violated his civil rights in an effort to appease a segment of the African American community.

The lawsuit points out that the two police chiefs before Wray were African American.

“We think that the facts speak for themselves,” Keller said.

Mayor Yvonne Johnson and other city leaders denied that there was any pressure from the African American community to force Wray out.

“I believe the right decisions were made, and I stand behind the city manager,” former City Council member Tom Phillips said Saturday.

Dianne Munden, vice chairwoman of the George C. Simkins Memorial Political Action Committee, an institution in the city’s black community, said the committee played no role in what happened to Wray.

“We had nothing, absolutely nothing, to do with Wray and the whole situation of him losing his job,” Munden said.

Earlier this year, Wray’s attorneys unsuccessfully attempted to persuade the city that he should be provided legal counsel for his legal defense in cases brought by police officers James Hinson and Julius Fulmore. Both officers were investigated by the Greensboro Police Department.

“A majority (of the City Council) didn’t believe we had any liability for what happened, for what he (Wray) did,” Yvonne Johnson said Saturday. “He chose to resign.”

Keller declined to say how much compensation he believes Wray is due.

But Keller said the city recently returned the former chief’s gun and badge “I thought it was a nice gesture,” he said. “Very appropriate.”

Staff writer Tiffany S. Jones contributed to this report.

Contact Amanda Lehmert at 373-7075 or amanda.lehmert@news-record.com

Accompanying Photos

Photo Caption: Former Greensboro police Chief David Wray.

What do you think?

11 comment(s)

Read other visitors' comments.

Comments

This article has been closed to new comments. Comments are generally closed after 14 days. However, comments may be closed earlier at the discretion of the News & Record.

Inappropriate content? Please notify us.

Panacea

January 4, 2009 - 10:18 am EST

Unbelievable. Wray hires a private detective to investigate a lieutenant, and attaches a bug to the guy's patrol car, and he think's he's one being discriminated against?

I hope this judge puts this suit right where it belongs: in File 13.

fsdutch

January 4, 2009 - 1:06 pm EST

Don't believe this folks. Read the truth. http://greensboro.rhinotimes.com/1editorialtablebody.lasso?-token.thread...

anniep

January 4, 2009 - 1:16 pm EST

David, there are many many of us who support you and wish that you may finally get justice for the great wrong done to you by crooked leaders of this city! May they hang their heads in shame!

daveasphalt

January 4, 2009 - 1:45 pm EST

It's about time that a white person who has been wronged by the "black establishment" in Greensboro fought back. Chief Wray was treated very shabbily by the city council, city manager and city attorney. He should be compensated for the damage to his reputation and character.

Spag

January 4, 2009 - 2:48 pm EST

"The city manager recently said the city could not prove the black book was used inappropriately."

Not accurate. What he said under oath is that there was no evidence in the possession of the City to support an improper use of the "black book". That is far different from not being able to prove a case. You might have evidence, but not enough to prove your case. Johnson admitted that he didn't even have ANY evidence that the book was used inappropriately. So on what basis was he justified in making the initial claims that he did if he had no evidence? None. It is a shame that the N&R has still not reported on his admission under penalty of perjury that he had no evidence to support his accusations. The question is "why"? Readers have still not been told the story nor has any explanation for treating the accusations made by Johnson against Wray one way, and then completely ignoring Johnson's affidavit that contradicted his initial story. One was big news at the N&R, the other was ignored. I guess the public just doesn't need to know when the N&R gets it wrong.

Ethan Feinsilver all over again.

tonymo

January 4, 2009 - 3:52 pm EST

David Wray is correct. Simply look at the phony case against him. In refenerence to the infamous "black book" city officials said they could not find that it was used inappropiately. The white, liberal cowards are held hostage by the so-called black "leaders." Theya are loathe to look into any corruption by black leaders. The most egregious example was the corrupt Project Homestead which owed the city about $1.5 million due to their crooked dealings.

Rev. King committed suicide when the extent of his corruption was exposed. One black county commissioner go an illegal loan to buy a house to which she was not entitled. Still she bought the house at a discounted rate, then quickly sold the house for a significant profit. She remained an elected official.

Another black commissioner, Skip Alston was also involved in a shady real estate deal for which he borrowed money from the city, but never repaid the loan after the deal went South. Where was the City misManager on those occassions. Greeensboro is a "Sanctuary City" for corrupt black officials because they are intimidated by the black community. They had no such problem going after a white police chief, never remotely associated with corruption, but rather was looking into corruption in his department. I hope that he bankrupts the city!

Panacea

January 4, 2009 - 4:49 pm EST

Dude, Rev. King was assassinated in front of dozens of witnesses.

You can't defend the corruption of one official (Wray) by complaining about the corruption of others (Alston).

All corruption should be investigated.

Wray's problem is, his behavior, and the behaviors of his subordinates completely demoralized the Greensboro Police Department.

holland4

January 4, 2009 - 5:12 pm EST

Panacea: Tonymo is talking about Rev. Michael King of Project Homestead infamy. Dense?

tonymo

January 5, 2009 - 1:27 pm EST

Panacea: Hey dude, once again you show just how ignorant and uninformed you are, You obviously have no clue what Project Homestead was, nor that the Rev. MICHAEL King was the crook in charge. I don't know why he killed himself because had he just hung on, you and your "dude" buddies would have elected him to some office in local government! You must be a product of our failed government schools.

Debra

January 4, 2009 - 9:20 pm EST

Of course this is a civil rights case. David Wray is in the right. Case closed. And I also might add that this area has also lost such a "hot" looking man.