Thomas L. Glover v. LaFayette City-Parish Consolidated Government and Joshua Guillory

Lafayette, Louisiana, employment law lawyers represented the Plaintiff who sued on a job discrimination theory.



Following the killing of a black man by three Lafayette Police

Department (LPD) Officers, the Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated

Government (LCG) commenced a national search for a new Chief of Police.

In December 2020, Thomas Glover, a black man, was selected for the

position by LCG Mayor-President Joshua Guillory. Before serving as LPD's

Chief of Police, Glover worked for the Dallas Police Department for thirty-

six years. As Chief, Glover reported to both Guillory and LCG's Chief

Administrative Officer, Cydra Wingerter.



Just ten months into his tenure, Glover was terminated by Guillory.

According to LCG, Guillory and Wingerter had "lost confidence in

[Glover's] ability to carry out the duties and responsibilities of the Chief of

Police” because Glover allegedly made misrepresentations to a councilman

and to the Municipal Fire and Police Civil Service Board (CSB) regarding an

investigation into an officer for alleged harassment. LCG asserts that Glover

was informed of this "clear reason for his termination”—the "lost

confidence” on the part of local leaders—at the time he was fired.



Glover contests that he was provided any reason for his termination at

the time. He asserts that it was not until he commenced legal action that

LCG informed him that his firing was because of Guillory and Wingerter's

"lost confidence.” He also more broadly disputes LCG's version of events,

asserting that he never made any misrepresentations to the CSB. Rather, in

Glover's telling, when he began to discipline officers for alleged misconduct,

the police union took umbrage and began to pressure Guillory to fire him.

Glover alleges that there was a culture of racial discrimination, generally and

against him in particular, within the police force. He avers that LCG leaders

fabricated their "loss of confidence” after the fact because the first time LCG

documented a reason for his termination was after litigation commenced.



After firing Glover, LCG hired Wayne Griffin as interim Chief of

Police in October 2021. Griffin was a long-time LPD officer who had been

the runner-up in the national search that led to Glover's hiring. Like Glover,

Griffin is a black man. However, two weeks after installing Griffin as interim

Chief, LCG placed him on leave to investigate allegations of sexual

harassment against him. About three months later, in January 2022, LCG

terminated Griffin as Chief, though he was eventually reinstated by the CSB

to his previous post, that of LPD sergeant. LCG then hired another interim

Chief of Police, Monte Potier, a white man. Potier left the position roughly

a year later. Thereafter, LCG hired Judith Estorage, a white woman, to serve

as Chief of Police. Estorage was hired as a "permanent,” rather than

"interim,” Chief.



Glover first challenged his termination before the CSB, alleging

violations of the LCG Fire & Police Civil Service Rules. After the CSB

denied relief, he unsuccessfully appealed to state court. He then filed a

charge of discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity

Commission (EEOC) in August 2022. He received a right-to-sue letter from

the EEOC in November 2022 and filed this action in February 2023, naming

LCG and Guillory in his personal and official capacities. In his complaint,

Glover alleged that he was fired because of his race and asserted claims under

Title VII, see 42 U.S.C. § 2000e, as well as 42 U.S.C. §§ 1981 and 1983. After

the discovery deadline, the defendants moved for summary judgment, which

the district court granted. The court concluded that Griffin, rather than

Potier or Estorage, was Glover's replacement as Chief, such that Glover

failed to show that he was replaced by someone outside his protected group.

The court further determined that Glover had not otherwise adduced

sufficient indicia of discriminatory intent on the part of LCG or Guillory.

The court held that Glover thus failed to substantiate a prima facie case of

discrimination and dismissed his claims.



Affirmed