Settlement reached in lawsuit against Pocomoke City
POCOMOKE CITY, Md. – After almost five years, a $1.2 million settlement has been reached in the Savage et al. vs. Pocomoke City et al. lawsuit. The case alleged that two black Pocomoke City police officers and their black chief were subjected to racial discrimination and retaliation. “This is not a Pocomoke City or an Eastern Shore problem. Race discrimination in police departments and society at large is a Maryland wide problem,” said Wiley Rein LLP attorney Craig Smith.
Former Chief Kelvin Sewell tells 47ABC that the settlement means more than money to him. “You have good police officers in all departments. But some have bad apples that make it bad for everyone. In this situation I think the consent decree is going to help not only the Pocomoke City Police Department, but also the entirety of Worcester County,” said Sewell.
Another key part of the deal was the creation of a consent decree – which would require Pocomoke City, Worcester County, and Maryland to be monitored by the US Department of Justice Civil Rights Division. They will have to improve the hiring, promotion, and retention of minority police officers. Smith says that he hopes this win will set a standard for all of Maryland. “It serves as one more stick, if you will, along with the carrot of doing the right thing. It’s for employers throughout the country to realize that there’s a dollar cost in addition to the many other costs that come with allowing discrimination in the workplace,” said Smith.
For Sewell, he says he’s taking this opportunity to turn over a new leaf and leave the pain of discrimination in the past. “I still care about the city but I think with my family and how we’re settled now and doing well, I don’t think that’s going to ever happen,” said Sewell.
Sewell was convicted of criminal misconduct back in 2019 for filing a hit and run DUI as an accident. His supporters say this is a smear campaign against him to hurt the Savage versus Pocomoke City Case. Sewell is appealing this conviction and tells 47ABC that he’s confident he’ll win the appeal.
47ABC did reach out to Pocomoke City’s public relations team and the mayor for comment. They did not get back to us.
