HOUSTON — A federal jury awarded $1.65 million to a former Harris County Precinct 3 Constable’s Office deputy after finding that supervisors at the agency subjected him to racial harassment, according to court records.
The jury issued the award last month in favor of former deputy Bert Whittington III after concluding that he experienced harassment based on his race while working for the office, court documents showed.
Whittington, who is Black, filed the lawsuit in October 2021 against Harris County and the Harris County Precinct 3 Constable’s Office, alleging that supervisors created a hostile work environment and tolerated racially offensive conduct.
Court documents stated that Whittington alleged supervisors participated in a workplace “clique” that made offensive jokes and comments about African Americans, including remarks suggesting that Black individuals with darker skin were inferior.
Whittington said in the lawsuit that he was the only dark-skinned Black deputy in his unit at the time and that the alleged clique was composed of deputies with lighter skin tones.
The lawsuit also alleged that Whittington faced disparate treatment at work, including being assigned certain tactical duties and being issued body cameras that he claimed were defective.
Whittington was terminated in August 2020 after being accused of failing to wear a body-worn camera and mishandling evidence, according to court records. He disputed the basis for his termination in the lawsuit.
The jury found in Whittington’s favor on his harassment claims, leading to the monetary award. Court documents did not immediately detail whether Harris County plans to appeal the decision.
