Rivesville Wants Ex-Officer’s Discrimination Lawsuit Dismissed

Through Daniel Johnson

September 8, 2024

Lamon Simpson alleges in his lawsuit that then-Mayor Barbara Beatty told him to reconsider his position if he couldn’t handle being called the n-word.

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On August 28, the city of Rivesville, West Virginia, filed a motion to dismiss a discrimination lawsuit filed by former police chief Lamon Simpson in Marion District Court on August 28.

According to the Times West VirginianSimpson filed his lawsuit on June 24, alleging that he was wrongfully fired and discriminated against while employed by the city’s police department. Simpson’s representative, Sean Cook, told the outlet that his client has faced several incidents of racial harassment and unfair treatment. One of those instances was a phone call he received in which a caller asked if he was the “n-word chief.”

Simpson alleged in the lawsuit that the city’s then-mayor, Barbara Beatty, told him that if he couldn’t handle being called the n-word, he should consider quitting his job.

The city’s response to the allegations in Simpson’s lawsuit appears to be a point-by-point rebuttal and a call for the court to dismiss Count III of Simpson’s lawsuit in its entirety, arguing that no policy or employment practice discriminates against black people.

Attorney Jeffery M. Cropp wrote in the city’s motion to dismiss the case: “In his complaint, plaintiff has not identified any employment practice or policy that has had a disproportionate impact on African Americans or on any other class protected by the West Virginia Human Rights Act.”

Cropp continued: “The core of his complaint is rather that the suspect discriminated against him alone.”

In addition, according to court documents, the city either flatly denied Simpson’s claims or claimed to have no knowledge of information regarding some of the allegations in his complaint. The city denied that Beatty told Simpson he should reconsider his job if he couldn’t handle the n-word.

The city of Rivesville has denied claims that the population of blacks and other people of color is low, despite Census data supporting those claims. The city reportedly cited an incident in which a firefighter suggested Simpson was pulling over too many white people.

What’s striking is that while the city’s response appears thoughtful, it also leaves out some key details, such as why they actually fired Simpson or why they replaced him with Nathan Lanham, who was paid a higher salary than Simpson. It only says that there was a legitimate business reason for the change.

Cook, Simpson’s attorney, said in a statement to the media that he plans to fight the city’s legal action for his client.

“We are committed to ensuring that justice is served and that Mr. Simpson is compensated for the unlawful actions taken against him,” Cook said. “No individual should suffer discrimination or retaliation for upholding the law and performing their duties with integrity.”

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