Former Sheriff’s Deputy Phillip Hill (right) stands next to attorney Daryl Washington and fellow former Sheriff’s Deputies Brandon Walker and Nyla Coleman across from the federal courthouse in downtown Fort Worth during a press conference on Oct. 16, 2024.
CODY COPELAND
ccopeland@star-telegram.com
A former Tarrant County sheriff’s deputy was awarded $625,000 this week by a federal jury that found he faced retaliation after he reported misconduct by a white colleague and racial discrimination.
Former deputy Brandon Walker, who is Black, represented himself in the three-day trial — at the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Fort Worth Division. It took the jury about eight hours to reach the verdict, according to Star-Telegram media partner WFAA-TV.
In his lawsuit, Walker alleged the Sheriff’s Office discriminated against him racially and took adverse employment actions against him after he reported misconduct by fellow deputies. Walker, who worked in the department’s Narcotics Unit between 2015 and 2017, said he witnessed fellow deputy Jay Rotter, who is white, use narcotics while on duty.
Rotter was later convicted in the August 2020 shooting death of his girlfriend in Denton.
After reporting Rotter, Walker said he was subjected to racial harassment and a hostile working environment, including being denied overtime, training and advancement opportunities, according to court filings. Walker also said he was treated differently from his similarly-situated white colleagues and referred to by a racial slur.
Walker was transferred to the department’s patrol division and eventually fired.
“This case is about retaliation,” Walker said in his opening statement. “It is about what happens when a sworn law enforcement officer does exactly what he is trained and obligated to do: report discrimination, oppose misconduct, and follow the law, and instead of being protected, becomes the target.”
In its verdict, the jury found that Sheriff’s Office officials took retaliatory action toward Walker by opening an internal affairs investigation against him after he filed an HR complaint and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission discrimination charge, according to court documents.
“The Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office respects the judicial process; however, we respectfully disagree with the verdict reached in this case,” the Sheriff’s Office said in a statement to WFAA. “We stand by the actions of our office. As this matter remains active litigation, we will not be providing further comment at this time.”
“While the jury has spoken, there is still work to be done in this matter,” Walker told the Star-Telegram on Friday. “I remain committed to proceeding through the remaining legal process with professionalism and respect for the court.”
This story was originally published February 13, 2026 at 6:47 PM.
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Lillie Davidson is a breaking news reporter for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. She graduated from TCU in 2025 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism, is fluent in Spanish, and can complete a crossword in five minutes.