By Gary Heinlein, The Detroit News
Wednesday, February 23, 2000
LANSING - A Michigan state trooper will get $275,000 and the rank of sergeant to settle a claim that he was passed over while less-qualified women and minorities were promoted.
The settlement with Michael Herendeen is one of seven reverse discrimination payouts to state troopers since 1996. They have costs taxpayers more then $1.5 million.
In the settlement, state police deny wrongdoing and say they signed an agreement solely to end the case.
A settlement, announced last Thursday, "was considered the best avenue to pursue," said Col. Michael Robinson, the state police commander, in a prepared statement. He said the agreement "should not be viewed as an admission of wrongdoing pertaining to Michigan department of State Police actions or promotional policies."
The 43-year-old Herendeen claimed that he failed to win promotion in spite of consistently high scores on sergeant exams, - including two perfects, a Wayne State University Law Degree and a spotless records.
Herendeen, a 20 year veteran, applied for hundreds of sergeant posts, Pinckney attorney James Fett said.
"There were 60 positions he was not even interviewed for," said Fett, who represents the trooper. "That's a no-no."
Herendeen of Shiawassee County alleged that the department and Robinson discriminated against white men when considering candidates for promotion to sergeant.
If too few women or minorities scored in the top bracket on a sergeant exam, Fett said, those who scored in the next-highest bracket also were added to the pool of candidates for sergeant openings. He said white men were considered only if they scored in the top bracket.
That policy changed in 1994 and other preference policies were changed in 1997, Fett said, but he was prepared to show that women and minorities still get favored treatment.
Herendeen's promotion to sergeant is retroactive to May 1, 1993. He currently works full time as president of State Trooper's union.
