State determines Cal Poly lecturer’s claim of racial profiling is unfounded

January 26, 2021

In response to a lecturer’s claim that Cal Poly San Luis Obispo police officers had racially profiled him during a traffic stop in July, the California Attorney General’s Office mounted an investigation that determined the allegation was unfounded. [Tribune]

In July, an officer pulled over former Cal Poly lecturer Sarder Sadique, who allegedly pulled out in front of the officer’s cruiser. Sadique, a Canadian citizen who was born in Bangladesh, later claimed the officer pulled him over because of the color of his skin, and then did not tell him why he was being detained.

The Cal Poly faculty union then repeated the claim of racial profiling leading the state to review videos of the incident, which did not support Sadique’s allegations.

After he was pulled over, Officer Thomas McNutt informed Sadique why he pulled him over. Sadique then provided officers a suspended New York driver’s license. Driving on a suspended license is a misdemeanor in California.

Officer McNutt asked Sadique to stop pulling his arms away as he searched the lecturer him for weapons. But Sadique continued, and the officer handcuffed him.

With a thick accent, Sadique attempted to explain he also had a Canadian driver’s license, but said he had Canadian driver’s lessons. After determining he did have a Canadian license, the officers released him less than 40 minutes after he was pulled over.

In July 2020, Cal Poly informed the lecturer his one year contract would not be renewed. Sadique then moved to New York because of the cost of living in SLO County. He is now asking the university to allow him to teach at least two units so he can stay in the United States through an employment visa.