The Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) training academy reportedly discussed Hispanic culture during a one-hour-long training session that detailed aspects of “Hispanic culture” in the U.S. and how they “differ from mainstream USA.”

A 39-page slideshow provided to LEO (Louisville Eccentric Observer) Weekly, an alternative newspaper, found the lesson was included as part of recruit training in 2020.

The course, called “Law Enforcement Spanish: Basics of Hispanic/ Latino Culture and Officer Safety” said it would teach recruits about Hispanic culture.

But, according to LEO Weekly, the lesson would also teach students to “identify specific aspects of Hispanic/ Latino culture that may pose hazards to law enforcement.”

Slides that compared “American middle class vs. Hispanic” described Hispanic people as being “more fatalistic,” “more spontaneous” who “rely on family and friends.”

In comparison, the American middle class was described as adhering more to schedules, relying on themselves and institutions and having “more planners.”

Randy Shrewsberry, an ex-officer and founder of the Institute for Criminal Justice Training Reform (ISJTR), told the outlet that he was concerned by the premise of the course.

He told the publication: “Frankly, painting one culture, or a subset of a culture as inherently more violent or posing unique threats, than another is simply racist.

“I think the danger is that when you have singled out one culture as having unique threats, then any interaction the police may have with this group is going to be approached differently, which unfortunately would likely mean more aggressively.”

Karina Barillas, director of the La Casita Center in Louisville, a non-profit group working alongside the Hispanic community, described the material as “offensive.”

She told LEO Weekly: “This kind of one-size-fits-all rhetoric causes separations of us [vs] them, discrimination and a misunderstanding of people’s realities.”

Barillas added: “The whole community deserves better-prepared officers whose leaders equip them with the knowledge of this diversity—it is a disservice to these officers as well if they are taught assumptions that lead to confusion and possibly dangerous conflict in the line of duty. We are all worthy to be treated as individuals, not as a stereotype.”

An LMPD spokesperson told the publication in a statement: “The LMPD training academy is currently amidst curriculum refinement.

“The referenced slides were removed and we continue to evaluate all of our training to ensure we are in line with national standards and best practices in law enforcement training.”

Newsweek has contacted the LMPD, La Casita Center and ISJTR for comment.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the Hispanic population in Louisville was 5.9 percent in 2019.

It is higher than the 3.9 percent average for Kentucky but lower than the national average which was 18.5 percent in 2019.