AG asks for dismissal of Hughes discrimination complaint

YOUNGSTOWN

The Ohio Attorney General has asked a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit filed by a former Youngstown police chief who accused Youngstown State University of racial discrimination.

Jimmy Hughes claimed the university refused to consider his application to become the university’s police chief on the basis of race.

The university named Shawn Varso its chief of police effective May 1 of last year.

In a motion for summary judgment filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court, the attorney general said Hughes’ application was submitted on March 23, 2017 — more than a month after the position was first advertised on Feb. 15 — and no applications submitted after March 10 were considered. Those “included applications from both white and minority applicants.”

Hughes’ lawsuit also accused the university of failing to advertise the vacancy in a lawful manner, but cited no evidence.

Read more about the case in Thursday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.