By Doug Moore
May 1, 2014
ST. LOUIS • A federal judge has ordered St. Louis Police Chief Sam Dotson and two of his commanders to attend training that would “detect and prevent discrimination” within the department.
The ruling from U.S. District Judge Catherine D. Perry comes eight months after Sgt. David Bonenberger won $620,000 from the department in a reverse racial discrimination suit. Bonenberger, who is white, said he was passed over for a leadership position because of his race.
The suit claimed Bonenberger was told by Lt. Michael Muxo, the police academy director, not to bother applying for the assistant director’s opening because the job was going to a black woman.
Muxo told Bonenberger that a higher-up, Lt. Col. Reggie Harris, wanted “to bring color down to the academy.” Harris is black.
Perry’s order for anti-discrimination training includes Muxo and Harris, and resulted from a court motion filed for Bonenberger.