LETTER TO THE EDITOR:
After reading about the recent lawsuit against Sheriff Frederick Davis in this past week's newspaper I couldn't fight the urge to write in and hopefully provide some further insight. To begin, I feel that the accusations made by Ms. Pernevlyn Coggins are in every way unfounded and inaccurate. As an employee of the Charles County Sheriff's Office I often work with the individuals who are being accused of falsifying information and discriminating against viable employment applicants. These individuals are by far some of the most respectable, positively motivated and, moreover, highly moralistic people that I have ever met. These are not people who find gratification in wrongdoing or in the suffering of others.
Given that I am a Caucasian male, I experienced the same hiring process that Ms. Coggins experienced, along with several other applicants of varied ethnic background, age, and gender. I can personally attest that when I was hired two years ago, I was hired alongside two African-American applicants, and that each of us were hired based upon whether or not we were the best fit for our position. The decision to hire us was not based on our age or the color of our skin. The fact that an individual does not possess a complimentary employment history and cannot verify his or her training credentials has absolutely nothing to do with whether they are white, black, or purple for that matter.
I have spent a good deal of time working personally with Sheriff Davis during my employment and have directly witnessed through his words, actions, and moral values that he is a great leader who emulates professionalism, dedication, and selfless service to the citizens of Charles County. I defend this statement passionately not because I am an employee of the CCSO, but because the Sheriff serves as a role model to many of us here at the office. He spends countless hours ensuring that everyone both inside and outside of this agency is treated with impartiality and equal opportunity on a daily basis. It is not Sheriff Davis who should be "under the gun," but those who seek pity and refuge hiding behind their heritage for what are, in reality, their own shortcomings and misfortunes.
Austin C. Rick
Waldorf , MD
Editor's Note: According to court documents, Pernevlyn C. Coggins filed suit against Frederick E. Davis, Sheriff, Charles County in the United States District Court for the District of Maryland. The case number is Civil No. WGC-05-248. According to the Memorandum Opinion, "Plaintiff, an African American female who applied for and ultimately was not selected for the position of Systems Administrator with the Charles County Sheriff’s Office, brought this action against Frederick E. Davis, Sheriff of Charles County, Maryland, alleging two separate counts of discrimination, based on race and on sex, in violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964."
You can download and read the complete court document at http://images.somd.com/news/2006/coggins.v.davis.pdf. It provides complete details of the case. You can also read a summary of the case to-date in the following article from the The Daily Record, Baltimore: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4181/is_20060701/ai_n16514694