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White cop disciplined over cornrows files rights complaint

By DAVID GAMBACORTA & DANA DIFILIPPO
Philadelphia Daily News

gambacd@phillynews.com 215-854-5994

Looks like we haven't heard the last of Thomas Strain, the white Philadelphia cop who generated national headlines when he was taken off the streets for two days in September because he showed up to work with cornrows.

The officer's attorney, Tom Holland, said yesterday that an official complaint was filed on Strain's behalf with the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission on Oct. 26.

The complaint alleges that the Police Department and Inspector Aaron Horne, who put Strain on desk duty on Sept. 3 until he agreed to cut his hair a few days later, violated the state Human Relations Act by discriminating against Strain because he's white - and engaged to a black woman.

"He was treated dissimilarly from African-Americans of the same rank with the same hairstyle, because he's white, because he 'crossed over' in a hairstyle," Holland said.

Holland contends that Horne, who is black, knew and disapproved of Strain's interracial romance, and expressed his disapproval through discipline.

Worse yet, Holland said, other police brass knew of Horne's actions and chose not to intervene.

Strain, a Marine who served in Iraq, joined the Police Department in 2004. He's assigned to the 35th District, headquartered at Broad Street and Champlost Avenue in Fern Rock.

Horne is the inspector in charge of the Northwest Division, which is where the district is located.

Holland said the complaint wasn't filed in attempt to get money from the city but because he wants the department to "institute better sensitivity training, more insightful race relations, more political correctness, as tired of a phrase as that sounds.

"You gotta walk the walk. You hear the talk all the time about political correctness and how the city is an equal-opportunity employer," Holland said.

A police spokesman declined to comment yesterday. Previously, the department told the Daily News that Strain had not been disciplined.

Holland said he did not think city officials have received a copy of the complaint yet.

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Comments

Posted 03:47 AM, 11/07/2009

phillyhoodlum22

Go get those rows back along with some cash.

Posted 05:14 AM, 11/07/2009

FJG JR

Cornrows? Now this is serious stuff.

Posted 05:55 AM, 11/07/2009

BentLogic

What could the police force ask of next..., that they be in shape maybe also. How dare they ever try to inforce a standard based on appearnce. He should be allowed to have a swatiska to if he felt the need to be that different.

Posted 05:56 AM, 11/07/2009

Trident252

While he was at the HRC he should have filed a complaint to get more cops on the street too. Aren't the citizen's rights being violated by not being protected by the savages of Philadelphia? And aren't the rights of hard working cops being violated by not having enough manpower and equipment to fight crime?

Posted 06:35 AM, 11/07/2009

THEphillysportsguy

This is a HATE CRIME and this African American Inspector Aaron Horne is the HATER!!!

Posted 07:02 AM, 11/07/2009

dont-take-it-personal

Sports guy you sound stupid! Hate crime. Horne follows orders from a superior who I highly doubt is black. The police department has a policy that states when wearing the police hat, that your hair should be neat. They feel that braids is not neat and it sends a bad message, which I feel is the real hate.

Posted 07:39 AM, 11/07/2009

KDR1979

@ dont-take-it-personal: if they feel that braids "is not neat," they should enforce the rule across the board...this guy was only disciplined because he was a white male with braids...that, my friend, is a hate crime in this day and age.

Posted 07:40 AM, 11/07/2009

catnapper

Way to go officer Strain. Nothing wrong with keeping your hair short and within regulations.You should be able to marry any woman you love.Sounds like Horne has major problems and might need sensitivity training and a demotion.

Posted 07:44 AM, 11/07/2009

tjinphilly

dont take it personal is right. It's not like the police commissioner is African-American or anything. Oh, wait, this just in...HE IS!?! If officer "A" is allowed to wear his hair in one style, then officer "B" is allowed as well. It is the same as saying that a black officer isn't allowed to have a hair style that some inspector might feel is too "white." Watch what would happen THEN! Personally, I think rows look awesome on a black guy,but somehow looks stupid on a white guy, but that is an OPINION. I cannot force my OPINIONS on other people.

Posted 08:47 AM, 11/07/2009

brian stewart

HORNE SHOULD HAVE BEEN FIRED YEARS AGO INSTEAD THEY PROMOTED HIM RULES DO NOT APPLY TO BLACK PEOPLE, THERE ARE TWO SETS OF RULES ABOUT HAIR IN THE POLICE DEPT, THE BLACK RULE AND THE WHITE RULE IT SEEMS THIS OFFICER IS STEPPING OVER THE LINE, BLACK GIRLFRIEND, CORNROWS MAKES YOU THINK HE MUST HAVE WANTED TO BE BLACK, USED TO BE THE OTHER WAY AROUND, GO FIGURE.

Posted 09:00 AM, 11/07/2009

DexterMorgan

They bees in charge now !!! Or as Eddie Murphy said in one of his movies " I'm your worst nightmare a "N" with a badge " Inspector Aaron Horne is 100% wrong however the Philadelphia Police will back him 100% that's the way it be !!

Posted 09:16 AM, 11/07/2009

frankdatank

he should be locked up for having terrible fashion sense

Posted 09:24 AM, 11/07/2009

realtor44

@dont-take-it-personal: What department policy are YOU referring to? I don't know what streets you are on, but if you are in Philly, you must see different cops than I do: Many of them wear braids, and I am not referring to women!