Former Enforcement Official Wins Lawsuit After Being Labeled ‘Muslim Terrorist’ and Fire

Former Enforcement Official Wins Lawsuit After Being Labeled ‘Muslim Terrorist’ and Fired

The 9/11 attacks saw public sentiment turn against American Muslims, with many people thinking they all must be terrorists. This compounded the problems of Black Muslims, who already suffer from racial discrimination. Tennessee state trooper De’Ossie Dingus was a victim of a blatant case of religious discrimination, but he fought back and recently won his case in court.

The Knoxville News reports a federal judge sided with Dingus and ruled the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security was guilty of discrimination for firing Dingus.

“U.S. District Judge Tena Campbell found the agency violated the rights of De’Ossie Dingus by firing him in 2010 after a military liaison dubbed the 10-year Tennessee Highway Patrol veteran a budding terrorist without any proof,” reported The Knoxville News.

Dingus was fired after a disagreement with military liaison Maj. Kevin Taylor, who branded him a terrorist after he had complained about a video showing the radicalization of children. The video was shown during a class on how to spot weapons of mass destruction.

Taylor labeled Dingus as “disruptive” and “confrontational.” However, Dingus was backed up by 35 other officers.

“An internal investigation showed none of Dingus’ co-workers shared Taylor’s view. Most said they’d never once heard Dingus mention his faith,” reported The Knoxville News.

In spite of the support of his fellow officers, senior staff in the Tennessee Department of Safety (TDOS) fired Dingus, largely based on Taylor’s recommendation.

“The judge ruled safety department officials were ‘all too eager to accept Maj. Taylor’s belief that because Mr. Dingus was a Muslim, he was dangerous,” The Knoxville News reported.