A former Fort Wayne Police chief is suing Fort Wayne Community Schools, alleging he was passed over for hiring as the district’s security supervisor because of his race.
Garry Hamilton was the city’s first Black police chief, appointed in 2015. He retired from the department in 2019.
According to the lawsuit filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Fort Wayne, Hamilton applied twice for the schools’ safety supervisor position, first in 2019 after he retired from the police department.
In that instance, court documents say FWCS hired a white man, Daniel Nigro, who was married to the former Director of Security at FWCS.
When Nigro left in 2021, Hamilton said he applied again and was turned down, this time in favor of another White man, Thomas Miller.
According to court documents, neither Nigro or Miller possessed command or management experience.
In December 2021, Hamilton filed a complaint alleging discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. In November, he was given “the right to sue” which means the EEOC did not take up his case.
Hamilton is represented by attorney Christopher Myers, known for his frequent lawsuits against area law enforcement agencies.
Hamilton currently serves as an investigator for the Allen County Prosecutor’s Office.
