By Gregory Korte
The Cincinnati Enquirer

DOWNTOWN - An independent study of discipline of city employees has found no statistical evidence of racial bias.

"The current system does not appear to discriminate in any consistent fashion against particular groups or types of employees," wrote University of Cincinnati researcher Lawrence F. Travis III in a report released Thursday. "There is, however, widespread agreement that the process is cumbersome and time-consuming."

City Manager Valerie Lemmie commissioned the study in 2002, after allegations that the dismissal of Police Lt. Col. Ron Twitty - the highest-ranking African-American in the history of the department - was part of a pattern of disproportionate discipline of black officers.

An internal police study disputed that, and Lemmie hired Travis to confirm those findings and also look at discipline city-wide. Travis reviewed 1,245 disciplinary actions in 2002.

While African-American employees are disciplined more often - and more harshly - than white employees, those numbers don't show the whole picture, the study said.

African-Americans are also more likely to have lower-level, hourly jobs, and are also more likely to be accused of substance abuse. Those factors better explain the disparity, Travis said.

Still, interviews with 34 employees and a survey of 409 more revealed a widespread perception that the process is discriminatory. The survey found, for example, that only 37.6 percent of supervisors and 23.3 percent of line workers said they "trust the discipline process."

Vice Mayor Alicia Reece, who chairs City Council's employment committee, said the study underscores the need to promote more minorities into top decision-making positions. She said Lemmie has made strides in doing that.

E-mail gkorte@enquirer.com