Back in December, when police officer Cleon Brown learned of his African ancestry, the racist fallout was immediate. When the Michigan cop, who had identified as a white man his entire life, learned from a genetic test he took through Ancestry.com that 18 percent of his DNA could be traced back to regions of Africa, he was understandably surprised. But the real shocker came after he shared the news with his fellow officers in the Hastings Police Department. In a lawsuit filed against his chief and the city, Brown claims that he was subjected to a "hostile work environment" once his co-workers and superiors learned he was black.

The taunting began during the holiday season when Brown noticed a personalized message on his Christmas stocking hung on the Christmas tree in the police department lobby. According to WOOD-TV in Grand Rapids, his Santa was black with “18 percent” written on the beard. Brown told MLive that upon learning of his black heritage, the police chief mocked him, calling him "Kunte," in reference to the character in Alex Haley's novel, Roots. Other officers taunted him, whispering "Black Lives Matter" when he walked by. Even the mayor, who has since retired, got in on the jokes according to Brown's attorney, Karie Boylan. "There was an instance where my client was talking to the mayor, and the mayor – upon learning that my client was 18 percent African-American – proceeded to tell him a racist joke using a racial slur," Boylan told CBS Detroit. Brown is suing for $500,000.

In a statement, the City of Hastings acknowledged the "Black Santa" incident but said that the officer responsible has since apologized to officer Brown. The statement went on to say that the chief told officers that jokes about Brown's heritage were unacceptable.

Michigan cop

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