The jury found he was retaliated against for filing discrimination complaints. Sheriff’s office says it “stands by the actions of our office.”

FORT WORTH, Texas — An eight-member federal jury has awarded a former Tarrant County sheriff’s deputy $625,000 in an employment discrimination case.

Brandon Walker, the former deputy, represented himself during the three-day trial. Jurors deliberated for about eight hours.

“This case has always been about accountability and the importance of protecting employees who speak up,” Walker said in a statement to WFAA.

The jury found that the sheriff’s office commanders used an internal affairs investigation against Walker in retaliation for filing an HR complaint and an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission charge of discrimination.

“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. “We stand by the actions of our office. As this matter remains active litigation, we will not be providing further comment at this time.”

In 2024, Walker filed a federal civil rights lawsuit alleging he was subjected to years of racial discrimination and retaliation after reporting misconduct within the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office.

The suit named Tarrant County, Sheriff Bill Waybourn and several current and former command staff members as defendants.

In his federal complaint, Walker alleged that the retaliation began after he raised concerns about racial discrimination and misconduct within the department.

According to the court filings, Walker said he was subjected to racial harassment and a hostile work environment. He alleged that he was denied overtime, training, and advancement opportunities and was treated differently from similarly situated white deputies. He also claimed he was referred to by a racial slur and that supervisors failed to address racially inappropriate comments.

Walker said that after he reported discrimination and alleged unlawful conduct to command staff and later to outside agencies, he was transferred out of the Narcotics Unit despite being nominated for Texas Narcotics Officer of the Year. He contended that supervisors issued him negative performance evaluations to justify the transfer and placed damaging information in his personnel file.