The man named the state of Missouri's pubic safety director in the middle of chaos in Ferguson, Mo. last summer has stepped down after just six months on the job.
Dan Isom II, a former police major in St. Louis, was appointed to the position by Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon in August. Nixon made the decision amid unrest surrounding Michael Brown's death at the hands of Darren Wilson. But the Associated Press reports that Isom will relinquish his role beginning Mar. 2. He touched on the decision in a statement:
It has been a great honor to serve as the director of public safety during this important time, Isom said. But after a long career in law enforcement I have found that my true passion is teaching, and I'm eager to return to my students at UMSL.
USML refers to the University of Missouri-St. Louis, where Isom was a professor in the Criminology and Criminal Justice department. According to the Associated Press, Isom faced challenges in his role due to concerns surrounding his part in a racial discrimination lawsuit levied against the St. Louis Police Department:
A federal jury in 2013 awarded a white police sergeant $420,000 in punitive damages over his claim that he was unfairly denied a promotion because his superiors wanted a black female to help lead the city police academy. The jury levied $20,000 in damages against Isom for his responsibility as police chief over the actions of other department leaders.
Isom and other defendants have appealed.
[via Associated Press]
