ST. LOUIS (AP) – A white St. Louis police major has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit claiming he was discriminated against when he didn’t get a promotion.

Maj. Michael Caruso filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in St. Louis claiming he sought a lieutenant colonel position, but that instead officials promoted a major, who is African-American and who Caruso claims was less qualified.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports (http://j.mp/2bnLFfS ) that St. Louis City Counselor Michael Garvin and a police department spokeswoman did not immediately respond to the newspaper’s request for comment.

Caruso’s lawsuit mentions a 2013 jury verdict awarding a white St. Louis officer about $800,000 over his claims he was passed over for a leadership position at the police academy in favor of a black woman for racial reasons.