LITTLE ROCK -- A North Little Rock man who is a voting rights coordinator for the American Civil Liberties Union filed a federal lawsuit Monday against the Pulaski County Public Defender's office, alleging he was racially discriminated against a year ago when he wasn't selected, or even interviewed, for an open investigator's position.
Rizelle Aaron, who is Black, is also a former president of the Arkansas NAACP and has identified himself a an uncle of Bradley Blackshire of Little Rock, who was shot to death by police in February 2019. Aaron fought against the reinstatement of Charles Starks, the officer who shot Blackshire.
His lawsuit claims the investigator position went to Lana Fraser, a white woman who was working as a student lawyer for the public defender's office at the time.
It states while the county has cited Fraser's legal educational qualifications as the basis for hiring her, the job posting required only minimal completion of college-level course work and some experience in criminal investigations.
Aaron said he's a former police lieutenant narcotics officer, was an investigative case agent assigned to the Drug Enforcement Administration and is licensed by the state as a private investigator, while Fraser has no experience as an investigator.
Through attorney Lawrence A. Walker, Aaron asks he be placed into the job and receive compensatory damages and payment of his attorney fees.
No one answered the phone at the public defender's office after 4 p.m. Monday.