DEA trainers accused of making ‘monkey noises’ among other claims of racial discrimination

Recruits at the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Training Academy in Virginia cited “monkey noises” among instances of racial discrimination they have faced while training for the federal agency.

An internal complaint alleged that an instructor at the academy made the noises at Black recruits on the loudspeaker in the tower of the outdoor firing range in 2019, the Associated Press reported.

The instructor also allegedly called a recruit a “monkey” when distinguishing between a Black and white trainee.

“We were like, ‘It’s 2019. That shouldn’t even be a thing that we’re dealing with,’” said former trainee Derek Moise, who did not witness the incident but spoke to fellow Black trainees who said they did.

“Everybody knows what those sounds and noises stand for.”

At least two Black trainees raised their concerns regarding the alleged incident to a DEA supervisor, which was eventually passed on to superiors.

Special Agent Jay Mortenson was removed from his post on the firing range and reassigned but was not disciplined before retiring.

The DEA told the Associated Press that the instructor was “promptly reassigned” after agency leadership learned of the alleged “inappropriate behaviour.”

The agency’s internal affairs arm, the Office of Professional Responsibility, was still investigating the incident by the time Mr Mortenson retired, which ended the probe.

When contacted by the Associated Press, Mr Mortenson called the allegations “incorrect” and said “I’m not going to talk to you about it” before hanging up.

“DEA takes allegations of misconduct very seriously and will not tolerate discriminatory behavior of any kind,” the agency said in a statement.

“DEA is committed to recruiting, retaining and promoting a workforce that reflects the diversity of our country and the people we serve.”

The incident is just one in a host of allegations of discrimination against minority recruits at the academy according to interviews with former recruits and law enforcement officials and records obtained by the Associated Press.

In one case, a Black recruit was told his skin colour made him the perfect candidate for undercover work.  

In another, a Hispanic woman was chastised to “speak English” while chatting in Spanish with a fellow trainee.

At least two of the complaints prompted internal DEA investigations, one of which remains ongoing.

The DEA has struggled to diversify its ranks for decades, with just 8 per cent of the agency’s 4,400 special agents being black and 10 per cent being hispanic.

Theo Brown, a Black recruit from Marietta, Georgia, claims he was unfairly dismissed in early 2018 and said: “They weren’t going to let me graduate and become an agent no matter what.”

Mr Brown said he was pepper-sprayed three times in a single training exercise while other trainees were sprayed once.

“They put you in situations where they can fail you at something subjective, and it’s basically your word against theirs.”

Academy instructors said Mr Brown failed in several disciplines, citing a “lack of enthusiasm” and issues with his report writing, according to DEA records. 

Mr Moise said he ultimately was dismissed after instructors determined he used excessive force by firing one too many rounds at an assailant during a simulation. He said that the agency graduated white trainees who underperformed in the simulation.

“There was never any praise for anything that we did as minorities, and we were always being made examples of,” said Mr Moise, who has since taken a state government job. “You can’t tell me that there’s not more Black people who qualify.”