A former St. Louis police chief earned Senate confirmation Thursday to become Missouri's new public safety director, making him one of state's highest-ranking black public officials despite concerns about a racial discrimination lawsuit brought against him.
Senators voted 31-2 to confirm Daniel Isom II, who was appointed by Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon weeks after a white police officer in Ferguson shot Michael Brown, an unarmed black 18-year-old. That event spurred sometimes violent protests in the St. Louis suburb and led to criticism of lack of racial diversity in Nixon's Cabinet, which at that time included no black leaders.
Isom began serving as public safety director after his appointment in late August, but needed Senate confirmation by early February to remain in the post. Isom continues to have the trust of the governor, who said in a written statement Thursday that Isom is "eminently qualified" to be public safety director and his more than two decades of service in law enforcement will be "invaluable" to Missouri.
Senate President Pro Tem Tom Dempsey, who voted in favor of Isom, said he received widespread community support and backing from lawmakers who represent St. Louis.
A Senate committee had delayed Isom's confirmation last week after Republican state Sen. Kurt Schaefer, of Columbia, raised concerns about a racial discrimination lawsuit filed against Isom during his five years as police chief. Schaefer and Sen. Ryan Silvey, R-Kansas City, were the two lawmakers to vote against him.
Isom's confirmation was the only one to be delayed last week; senators sped through a dozen other appointees.
A federal jury in 2013 awarded $420,000 in punitive damages to a white police sergeant, David Bonenberger, who sued St. Louis department leaders and Isom. Bonenberger claimed he was unfairly denied a promotion because his superiors wanted a black female to help lead the city police academy.
Jurors levied $20,000 of the total damages against Isom for his responsibility to supervise leading department officers, who along with Isom have since appealed.
Schaefer has said Isom presents a liability to the state, especially because he'll be responsible for hiring and other decisions that were at issue in the lawsuit.
Dempsey said the incident appears isolated, and added that support from other lawmakers and community leaders from the St. Louis area "spoke more to me of the quality of the individual."