UPDATE: Ortiz was “relieved of duty with pay” pending an investigation after his comments about identifying as a black man.
A Hispanic police officer in Miami is facing calls for his resignation after he said he identifies as a black man.
Miami Police Capt. Javier Ortiz made the remarks during a meeting after other officers filed a complaint about racial disparity within the police department, according to NBC News. Ortiz faced accusations from Sgt. Stanley Jean-Poix that he declared himself a black man on police exams to get promoted.
“So, the question is, why is it that every time he finishes an exam, he goes back to white Hispanic male?” Jean-Poix said at the meeting on Friday.
Ortiz responded by discussing the “one-drop rule,” which is a belief that anyone with black heritage, even a very small amount, is considered black. During the meeting, Ortiz said he was not Hispanic but said he has identified as a white man in past documents.
“Well, I learned that there are people in my family that are mixed, that are black,” he said. “And, if you know anything about the ‘one-drop rule,’ which started in the 20th century, which is what identifies and defines what a black man is, or a negro.”
Rubin Roberts, chairman of the NAACP’s Miami-Dade branch, said that Ortiz should lose his job over the controversy.
“The city should be made aware that the statement he made is incendiary,” Roberts said. “He’s not in any way considerate of black men or women’s plight.”
