Britton Hamilton, a transgender man, says he had his offer to join the New Orleans Police Department rescinded because of his gender.
He is now suing the police department.
“It was like a dream job,” Hamilton told NBC News. “I want to be able to help the community and help people to view police officers differently than how they are feeling now.”
Hamilton applied for the position in June 2020. He then took a civil service exam and physical agility test a month later. He passed both. Hamilton then passed the voice test in voice test. A voice test is used to measure stress levels to probing questions posed to potential recruits. It is used to detect the applicant’s level of truthfulness.
According to Hamilton, he was given a conditional job offer on Dec. 14, 2020, pending a comprehensive psychological and medical screening.
Oddly, Hamilton says the department’s screener spent a significant amount of time questioning him about his sexuality. This came after Hamilton revealed he had legally changed his name and had undergone hormone replacement therapy and surgeries.
“It was super, super disappointing, because I prepared myself physically, emotionally for this job,” Hamilton said. “This is the foundation for me and my family.”
Hamilton had previously served in the U.S. Army as a woman.
In May, the NOPD claimed their decision to revoke Hamilton’s job offer was not because of his gender identity. “The decision not to move forward with the applicant in question did not involve any discrimination against the individual as a member of a protected group,” the department said.
