To some on Facebook, an article from Ebony seemed a bit too wild to be true. “White cop who says he was taunted for being part black gets $65K settlement from city,” the headline—flagged by Facebook users as potentially incorrect—states.
Sgt. Cleon Brown claims his Ancestry.com DNA results flagged that he was 18 percent sub-Saharan African. After sharing these results with his co-workers, Brown alleged that he was subjected to racist remarks and jokes. (Even the city’s mayor is supposed to have joined in, telling Brown “a racist joke using the word ‘Negroid’ at least two or three times.”)
Alleged incidents included a black Santa with “18%” written on its beard placed in Brown’s stocking in 2016 as well as Brown being barred from a basketball game and “police department employees … whispering ‘Black Lives Matter’ while pumping their fists as they walked past” Brown. For all of this, and other name-calling episodes, etc. Brown figured the city owed him $500,000.
According to a statement from the city at the time, Brown told co-workers of his Ancestry.com findings “in a joking way with great frivolity.”
(It’s still unclear who out-racist who.)
Recently, the city settled with Brown for $65,000. While some might dispute Ebony’s racial categorization of Brown, the article is correct.
If you have questions about this fact check, or would like to submit a request for another fact check, email Holmes Lybrand at [email protected] or the Weekly Standard at [email protected]. For details on TWS Fact Check, see our explainer here.
