Michael Sears, an African-American and Sicilian former deputy, filed a lawsuit against the Butte County Sheriff’s Department alleging racial discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. He reported that between 2007 and 2017, colleagues used racial slurs, hung a stuffed panda doll symbolizing him by a rope, and displayed a poster with his badge number next to mug shots of African American figures. Sears claimed he was passed over for promotions in favor of less-qualified non-African-American candidates. The county settled the lawsuit in 2018 for $645,000 without admitting wrongdoing. ([legalreader.com](https://www.legalreader.com/butte-county-settles-racial-discrimination-suit-with-former-sheriffs-deputy/?utm_source=openai))
[Return to blog post](https://watchaudits.com/michael-sears-butte-county-sheriffs-department/)
.
