Teresa Theetge, Cincinnati police chief

Four previous members of the Cincinnati Police Department are suing police chief Teresa Theetge for workplace discrimination against white males on the force..

The lawsuit, brought by Captain Robert Wilson and Lieutenants Patrick Caton, Gerald Hodges, and Andrew Mitchell on May 19, alleges that the city and Theetge partook in “intentional and discriminatory practices” based on sex and gender, according to The Cincinnati Enquirer. The officers asserted that they “suffered harm,” “damage to [their] professional reputations,” and “emotional distress” as a result of the department’s alleged favorable treatment toward women and racial minorities.

“The city and Chief Theetge have actively and systemically undertaken efforts to promote, advance, and make promotion and assignment decisions that are preferable to women and minorities, and to the exclusion of White men,” the lawsuit reads.

The officers said they were passed over for preferred assignments, which include good benefits and are seen as career-advancing roles, according to the Enquirer. They further alleged that since Theetge became chief, a race-based quota system has been used to promote women and racial minorities to the rank of lieutenant.

The Cincinnati Police Department did not respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.

The four officers are seeking compensatory damages, including lost wages and benefits, plus emotional distress, the Enquirer reported. They are further seeking a jury trial and a court order to halt discriminatory practices.

Attorney Zack Gottesman, who is representing the officers, stated that there are multiple incidents where the city and the police department engaged in blatant discrimination against white males, according to local Cincinnati outlet WXIX. He argued this while highlighting other lawsuits that are being brought against the city and the police department for alleged discrimination.

“These cases collectively demonstrate a pattern of systemic discrimination by the City of Cincinnati against white individuals, particularly white male officers, in promotions, assignments, and workplace treatment,” Gottesman told WXIX. “The City’s continued reliance on race- and sex-based policies, despite judicial rulings and evidence of remedied past discrimination, perpetuates an environment of unfair treatment and violates constitutional protections.”

In early 2025, the city paid a $95,000 settlement to a white police officer who sued over comments made about white people by her supervisor and colleagues, according to the Enquirer. In 2021, a federal judge ruled that the police department could not use a race or sex-based quota when hiring or promoting officers.

Theetge has emerged into the national public eye since the violent brawl that took place in Cincinnati, Ohio, in the early hours of Saturday morning. Viral footage, which circulated on social media, showed a group of people kicking and body slamming a man to the ground, followed by a female witness getting knocked unconscious by a man.

During a Monday press conference, the police chief accused users on social media and journalists of misrepresenting the incident with footage that allegedly lacked “context.”

“Social media, the posts that we’ve seen, does not depict the entire incident. That is one version of what occurred. At times, social media and mainstream media and their commentaries are misrepresentations of the circumstances surrounding any given event,” Theetge said. “What that does, that causes us some difficulty in thoroughly investigating the activity and enforcing the law. Because what happens, that social media post and your coverage of it distorts the content of what actually happened and it makes our job more difficult.”

Theetge said at the press conference that five suspects have been charged concerning the violent incident, and others are also expected to face charges.

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