State Trooper Fired For Using Ebonics In Reports

Pittsburg, PA – An African-American state trooper was reportedly fired for using Ebonics in his police reports, according to The Associated Press.

29-year-old William Peake explained that he was fired at the end of his 18-month probationary period because he didn’t correctly fill out his reports. Peake’s lawsuit explains his bosses falsely accused him of using Ebonics when penning official documents.

“It’s a complex problem,” attorney James Logan explained. “Here you have a guy who did very well at the training academy and wanted to be a state police officer more than anything; he just burned to do it.”

Logan added that being fired from his position as a state trooper has made it difficult for Peake to find other jobs within the law enforcement field. Should he win the case, the former state trooper wants to be reinstated to his position and reimbursed for lost wages.

According to the Times Online, the federal lawsuit states that Peake was treated more harshly than his co-workers due to his race. The troopers stationed at the Uniontown barracks are predominantly white.

“There’s an emotional distress component that comes into this as well,” Logan said. “He comes from a family of police officers. For him to be terminated from a job like this, it’s embarrassing to him.”

During the last few months of his time with the Pennsylvania State Police, Peake was removed from the road and placed at a desk. Although the notice of his termination stated that Peake possessed a “lack of solid job knowledge and basic skills,” his attorney doesn’t feel his client was given a chance to prove himself.

“The last bit of time in his employment, he had been restricted to desk work,” Logan said. “How is that giving him an opportunity to perform his job?”

What do you think about the state trooper who was fired for reportedly using Ebonics in his reports?