LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) A former Lawrence police officer who was fired after admitting he fixed traffic tickets is suing the city, alleging wrongful termination and racial discrimination.
Former Police Sgt. Michael Monroe, who is black, says in a lawsuit filed Tuesday in federal court that he was denied due process and fired last March because of his race. He is suing the city and Lawrence Police Chief Tarik Khatib.
Monroe admits he fixed traffic tickets for former Kansas Athletics employee Rodney Jones, who is in federal prison for his role in a broader ticket scandal. But he says he didn’t know police Sgt. Matt Sarna was receiving Kansas athletics tickets in exchange for fixing the tickets.
The Lawrence Journal-World reports Sarna, who is white, was allowed to resign while Monroe was fired.