00:02When Sean Lufat decided to pursue a career as a police officer almost three decades ago,
00:08he wanted to make a difference for his community.
00:11I really like the idea of working with your own people, hoping to make a change.
00:15He's now one of three lead applicants suing the NT government in the Federal Court
00:20over allegations of racial discrimination and vilification while working for NT police.
00:26I felt it was our only option because we didn't have a voice.
00:30The class action follows a complaint to the Australian Human Rights Commission in 2024.
00:36Earlier this year the Commission terminated the claim, giving the officers 60 days to take legal action.
00:43Part of this is to make the NT police force a safer, fairer work environment for Indigenous employees.
00:50The class action, led by Melbourne-based law firm Gordon Legal, is open to Aboriginal community police officers who served
00:57between 1998 and 2025.
01:00Our kind of working understanding is that the total class is in the hundreds.
01:05The allegations include claims Aboriginal community police officers were required to perform duties of higher ranked officers for less money.
01:13They allege systemic racial vilification and abuse, both directed at them personally, but also directed to others, including community members,
01:27by members of the Northern Territory Police Force in their presence.
01:29The officers are seeking compensation and an apology.
01:34NT police said they're aware of the ongoing legal proceedings, but that it would be inappropriate to comment further.
01:40The case will go before the Federal Court later this month, with lawyers pushing for a trial in 2027.
