Tennessee Highway Patrol Loses Lawsuit Over Fired Trooper

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – A federal judge has deemed the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security guilty of discrimination in the firing of a Sunni Muslim state trooper.

The Knoxville News Sentinel reports that U.S. District Judge Tena Campbell ruled in June that the agency violated the rights of De’Ossie Dingus by firing him in 2010 after the 10-year highway patrol veteran was dubbed a budding terrorist without any proof.

Military liaison Maj. Kevin Taylor labeled Dingus a potential terrorist after a 2009 encounter in which Dingus complained about the airing of a training video on the radicalization of children.

Campbell did not award Dingus the roughly $300,000 he sought in damages, saying he did not support his claims.

Department of Safety spokeswoman Dalya Qualls says the agency had no comment on the ruling.