Five white male Philadelphia police officers have filed a federal class-action lawsuit against the city and the police department, alleging they were denied promotions because of their race and sex. The lawsuit, filed by America First Legal, a conservative legal group co-founded by White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, claims the officers were passed over in favour of Black or female candidates.
The plaintiffs—Lieutenants Christopher Bloom, Kollin Berg, and Joseph Musumeci, and Sergeants Marc Monachello and Leroy Ziegler Jr.—were denied promotions to captain or lieutenant in November 2025. The lawsuit asserts that each officer had high civil service exam scores, strong service records, positive performance reviews, and significant experience, yet were overlooked for less qualified minority or female candidates.
The legal challenge targets Philadelphia's 'Rule of Five' policy, introduced in 2021 to increase diversity in supervisory roles. This policy replaced the previous 'Rule of Two', which limited promotion selections to the top two candidates on the eligibility list. The lawsuit describes the 'Rule of Five' as 'illegal and discriminatory'.
Then-Councilwoman Cherelle Parker, now mayor, championed the change, stating that the 'Rule of Two' had held back Black and Brown employees. She called the new policy a necessary step toward making the city's workforce more reflective of Philadelphia's demographics. The Philadelphia Police Department and the mayor's office declined to comment, citing active litigation.
Nick Barry, Senior Counsel at America First Legal, argued that federal civil-rights law prohibits promotion decisions based on race or sex, and that promotions must be based on merit. The lawsuit seeks to challenge the city's diversity initiative as a violation of equal protection.
