A police officer with painted toenails has accused fellow officers in a NYPD scuba unit of discriminating against him by calling him a transsexual and a descendant of slaves.
The accusations were contained in a civil suit announced on Thursday by lawyers for Oscar Smith.
The suit alleges supervisors and officers abused Smith by expressing open disbelief that a black man could pass a swim test. It also says the NYPD unfairly denied him promotions and overtime based on his race.
Court papers describe Smith as a "mixed race African American" and an avid diver and surfer. The documents say painting toenails is common for surfers.
There was no immediate response to a request for comment from the city Law Department.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
