<\/p>\n
\u2018It is unacceptable that in 2026 Latinos and African-American officers are still confronted with situations rooted in biased discrimination and unequal treatment,\u2019 said Jorge Luis Feliz Del Rosario, president of the Fort Lauderdale Hispanic Police Officers Association. He was speaking at a news conference on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, at the Broward\/Fort Lauderdale NAACP office in Fort Lauderdale.<\/p>\n
CBS News Miami<\/p>\n
An NAACP branch is claiming racist remarks have led to a hostile work environment within the Fort Lauderdale Police Department.<\/p>\n
The Broward\/Fort Lauderdale NAACP, the Fort Lauderdale Hispanic Police Officers Association, and the Fort Lauderdale Black Police Officers Association announced the allegations at a news conference Tuesday morning.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is unacceptable that in 2026 Latinos and African-American officers are still confronted with situations rooted in biased discrimination and unequal treatment,\u201d said Jorge Luis Feliz Del Rosario, president of the Fort Lauderdale Hispanic Police Officers Association.<\/p>\n
The group said the results from a sergeant\u2019s exam at the end of last year were released on April 2, and the top 12 officers were minorities.<\/p>\n
That allegedly led to racist comments, specifically from one officer. CBS News Miami has attempted to reach the officer for comments \u2014 including through his union \u2014 and has not heard back.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Black and Hispanic officers simply scored better than him, 12 of them. But because he couldn\u2019t accept that, he then created this environment where he accused the Black and Hispanic officers of cheating,\u201d said Stephan Lopez, an attorney for the officers.<\/p>\n
The group said the comments were reported up the chain, claiming command staff waited nine days to respond.<\/p>\n
About 60 officers took the exam. No promotions have been announced yet, according to the group.<\/p>\n
\u201cCommand staff was asked to make a statement immediately and shut this down, apparently staff thought it was going to blow over,\u201d said Marsha Ellison, president of the NAACP Fort Lauderdale\/Broward branch.<\/p>\n
The City of Fort Lauderdale released the following statement:<\/p>\n
\u201cThe City of Fort Lauderdale takes these allegations seriously and is reviewing the situation thoroughly to ensure a fair assessment and appropriate action.\u201d<\/p>\n
The group is calling for an independent investigation, requesting that the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) take over and make the findings public.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s about getting African Americans and Hispanics the same seat at the table that their white counterparts are, and they don\u2019t get to make up false allegations with impunity,\u201d Lopez said.<\/p>\n