Indiana Policewoman Investigated For ‘White Male Privilege’ Comment During Training

A Plainfield, Indiana, Police Captain was placed on administrative leave after she made a comment on “white male privilege” during a police training session Nov. 1.

The training was sponsored by the United States Department of Justice and was attended by the members of the Plainfield police, Plainfield schools, Hendricks County Prosecutor’s Office and the town, according to a report by WISH-TV, a CW-affiliated news television network.

In a video recording of the training session released by the police department, Captain Carri Weber can’t be seen but can be heard stating the objectionable comment. The video shows a man asking questions to a police officer who was conducting the training session. Interrupting the man, Weber is heard saying “because you’re white male privilege, so you wouldn’t know.” The man asks Weber to repeat herself and she can be heard stating the same again, to which he comments, “Wow! I’m done with this training.”

The training session was related to how police can communicate better with the transgender people of the community, KGUN-TV, an ABC-affiliated television network, reported. The session also focused on many transgender-related issues.

The report stated the man, a 28-year veteran of the Plainfield Police Department, asked a question regarding a particular statistic, which stated transgender people are 3.32 times more likely to face police violence as compared to others. It was during this exchange that Weber interrupted him with the “white male privilege” comment.

The above statistics came from a June 2013 report by the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP). The report was collated using 2012 data from 15 programs of anti-violence in 16 states. Indiana was not one of the states.

It can be seen in the video that Weber’s comment did not sit well with quite a few people in the room.

One of the instructors of the session tried to calm down the crowd after Weber’s comment, during which another officer can be heard saying, “Chief, are you going to let her [Weber] get away with that? Seriously? I'm asking a legitimate question and I'm getting [unintelligible] white privilege? Are you serious? I find that extremely offensive… I will leave."

The report added the officer, who was not named in the documents given by the Town of Plainfield, registered a complaint against Weber on Nov. 10.

The officer wrote in the complaint, “I was racially and sexistly slurred by Captain Carri Weber while I was asking a question of the instructor in training. … I am now firmly aware of the discriminatory belief she just verbally communicated…There is no place in the Plainfield Police administration or supervision for someone who holds and espouses her discriminatory views."

Tony Perona, the deputy town manager of Plainfield, stated the Board of Commissioners took a vote Nov.16 and decided to place Weber on administrative leave. Another vote has been scheduled Dec.7 to decide Weber’s career with the police department.

Captain Weber earlier served a two-week suspension for violating the drug and alcohol use policies of the department. She had then confirmed she drove her police department-issued vehicle under the influence of alcohol after a golf outing and added she carried beer cans in the vehicle.