Overview
- America First Legal filed the proposed class-action lawsuit in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on behalf of five white male officers who say they were denied promotions in November 2025.
- The suit targets the city’s shift from the long-used “Rule of Two” to a flexible “Rule of Five” finalist pool adopted in 2021 to increase diversity in supervisory ranks.
- Plaintiffs Christopher Bloom, Kollin Berg, Joseph Musumeci, Marc Monachello, and Leroy Ziegler claim lower-ranked candidates were promoted over them, including captain selections from as low as 17th and lieutenant picks from 30th and 34th on eligibility lists.
- The complaint seeks to bar any use of race or sex in hiring or promotions, block the Rule of Five, and award the plaintiffs promotions, retroactive seniority, benefits, and back pay.
- The Philadelphia Police Department and the mayor’s office declined to comment; the Fraternal Order of Police previously filed grievances and asked the Justice Department to review the department’s promotion criteria.