NAACP Alleges Racist Remarks by Officer
- Local NAACP says a Fort Lauderdale officer made racist remarks, creating a hostile workplace. - Groups including Broward NAACP and two police associations announced allegations at a Tuesday news conference. - The accusations could prompt internal probes and community scrutiny of FLPD leadership (cbsnews.com).
The Broward branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is demanding an independent investigation after alleging a Fort Lauderdale police officer made racist remarks about fellow officers. (nbcmiami.com) The allegations were announced at a Tuesday, April 21, 2026, news conference by the Broward/Fort Lauderdale NAACP, the Fort Lauderdale Hispanic Police Officers Association, and the Fort Lauderdale Black Police Officers Association. (cbsnews.com) The groups said the dispute followed a sergeant’s promotional exam whose results were released April 2, and they said the 12 highest-scoring officers were Black or Latino. (cbsnews.com) According to the NAACP and attorney Stephen Lopez, Officer Steve Pohorence, who finished 13th, accused the Black and Hispanic officers ahead of him of cheating. (nbcmiami.com) Marsha A. Ellison, president of the Broward County NAACP branch, said the remarks created a hostile workplace for officers who had “worked and studied hard” for promotion. (nbcmiami.com) The accusations put Chief William Schultz and the department’s command staff under pressure because the NAACP said leaders had not acted quickly enough after the comments surfaced. (nbcmiami.com) NBC 6 reported that the city sent documents in response to questions from the station, including an April 9 email in which Schultz congratulated officers who took part in the promotional process and acknowledged questions about it. (nbcmiami.com) The case also lands in a department that has faced earlier scrutiny over racist conduct allegations; in June 2024, the Broward NAACP and Public Defender Gordon Weekes called for another Fort Lauderdale officer to be fired after an internal investigation found he used racial slurs and instigated a fight. (wsvn.com) As of Thursday, April 23, 2026, local reports said Fort Lauderdale police and the city had provided documents to reporters, while the NAACP and the two police associations were still pressing for an outside review. (nbcmiami.com)
