Racism means different things to different people. On behalf of Vancouver, Washington's daily The Columbian, attorney Michele Earl-Hubbard of Davis Wright Tremaine has helped convince a Clark County Superior Court Judge to order the release of a 2006 report by two Kirkland police lieutenants on alleged racist treatment of fired black officer Carl Mealing by top officials in the burg of Ridgefield. It turns out there may have been racism evident - but it was due to retrograde stereotypes of black male sexuality by the local police chief stubbornly defending Mealing from allegations of impropriety with women while on duty. More below......

From today's Columbian.

The investigation was done by Kirkland lieutenants Rick Krebs and Bill Hamilton....The report concluded that Mealing was not fired because he's black, as is his contention, but for a pattern of hitting on women everywhere from gas stations to La Center cardrooms to restaurants. Several women complained he asked personal questions, such as if they were "happily married" and if he could get their phone number.

The report says (now on-leave Ridgefield Police Chief Bruce) Hall, a former police chief in Forks, had fired Mealing there. But after Hall came to Ridgefield in 2000, he recruited Mealing. "Chief Hall was personally aware of Mealing's long history of alleged misconduct and was personally involved in several misconduct allegations," the report states.

Hall dismissed community members who'd complained about Mealing as "a bunch of local yokels (who) are racist," according to (city manager George, now also on leave) Fox's interview with the Kirkland officers. When Hall was interviewed, he suggested Mealing gets women's attention because he's good-looking and, as the only black officer, a novelty." Who knows? Maybe they want to see if the rumor is true," Hall is quoted as saying in the interview, referring to, as the officers put it, "black males being well-endowed."

The report concluded that Hall "has failed to properly manage this organization" and "has made many poor hiring, retention and accountability decisions which has impacted the morale and reputation of the organization." The Kirkland officers made 16 recommendations to repair the damage, including hiring a new chief....

Umyeah, Chief. Those women he hit on really wanted it - and might've really just been really angling to guage the size of Mealing's equipment, and then some. For complaining about his advances, why they're racist to boot. They're sort of simultaneously enthralled yet repelled by the handsome black stud, in Chief Hall's fevered imaginings. So from Hall's perspective, Mealing was certainly acting in accordance with the departmental mission statement "by providing assistance of non-enforcement nature to citizens in need."

Where are the Portland feminists when you really need them?