Akron Fire Captain Michael Haas sued the city and fire department leadership earlier this month, claiming a Black woman was promoted into a job he was more qualified for.
Captain Haas, a 27-year veteran of the department who is white, claims a fire district chief promotion was given to Captain Sierjie Lash, a 49-year-old Black woman, instead of him.
The 58-year-old argues he was discriminated against based on his age, gender, and race. His lawsuit claims the city’s “Rule of Five” policy was used in promoting a Black female captain over him.
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According to WKYC.com, Akron’s “Rule of Five” allows leadership to “select five top candidates for an open position. Once a promotion list is established, the appointing authority may interview and then choose any one of the top five highest-ranked candidates for the position, regardless of their exact rank within those five.”
Haas, who joined the department in July 1997, said he was the most qualified candidate among six candidates eligible to be promoted to district chief, while Lash was fifth in ranking. The rankings are based on “seniority, education, certifications and experience,” Haas says in his lawsuit.
Still, city leadership invoked the Rule of Five to appoint Lash to the role, the lawsuit states.
Haas also claims that Lash had a 30-day unpaid suspension in 2023 for off-duty recruit coaching that was later overturned. He claims leaders quietly expunged Lash’s disciplinary record before she was promoted.
Haas says he filed an internal complaint with Fire Chief Leon Henderson in July 2024 before filing another complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on September 4.
Less than two hours after the second filing, Haas says Henderson transferred him to another role, demoting him from a 40-hour safety-officer role to two weekly 24-hour shifts which Haas considers to be less favorable than his administrative position.
Lash is reportedly the first woman to be named district chief in the department’s history. Signal Akron reports that there are about 10 district chief positions in the department. It adds that out of the department’s 354 firefighters, there are 52 Black people and 18 women.
Haas’ suit names the city of Akron, Henderson, and two other department leaders as defendants. Haas is seeking tens of thousands of dollars in damages, reinstatement or promotion, and reforms to Akron’s promotion rules, according to WKYC. His lawsuit also cites age, gender, and racial bias under federal and state law.
