Teresa Theetge’s attorney says Cincinnati officials are using the police chief as a political scapegoat.
Stephen Imm of Finney Law Firm is representing Theetge, who also goes by Terri. He says City Manager Sheryl Long asked Theetge to resign last week. When she refused, Imm says Long placed Theetge on administrative leave without cause pending an internal investigation.
"I'm afraid that they're going to work very hard to see if they can't dig up some dirt on this person that they've just removed from office without cause," Imm said. "I can't speak to the city's timeline. I have no idea what their intentions are. I have no idea who is going to investigate. Chief Theetge has not been told anything about this supposed investigation."
Imm spoke to reporters at a press conference Tuesday morning. Theetge appeared out of uniform and did not make a statement or answer questions.
Imm says Theetge wants to get back to work.
"She is a dedicated public servant," Imm said. "She wants nothing more than to be a servant and lead the law enforcement division of the city of Cincinnati."
'Political scapegoat'
Imm says the city manager has given no reason for the request that Theetge resign, or for the administrative leave and investigation.
"Chief Theetge stands before you today accused of no wrongdoing and having done nothing to deserve this action," Imm said. "The unfortunate conclusion we have to reach from these facts is that she is being used as a political scapegoat and a political pawn. Terri deserves better than this. Cincinnati deserves better than this."
A reporter asked if the chief was "taking direct orders from both the mayor and city manager instead of doing what she thought would be best" to fight crime.
"I think that's a fair characterization," Imm replied.
Imm says during Theetge’s three years as chief, she has proposed several ideas for curbing crime that were "vetoed."
"One [example] has to do with the fact that repeat offenders were being released with little or no bond by the judges of the county ... Chief Theetge asked the mayor to engage with the county judges about that," Imm said.
A reporter asked if Mayor Aftab Pureval refused the request. "That's right," Imm replied.
Imm said he is "not at liberty to disclose" other proposals that were vetoed.
The Fraternal Order of Police has been very critical of city officials' response to crime over the past several months. Lodge 69 President Ken Kober released a lengthy statement Tuesday criticizing what he calls Pureval's "radical soft-on-crime agenda."
"Placing Chief Theetge on leave doesn't solve a d*** thing," Kober said. "It just spotlights Pureval's inability to lead and his habit of hiding behind others when the heat turns up."
Pureval responds
Mayor Pureval’s Chief of Staff Keizayla Fambro denied these allegations in a statement to WVXU: “That is not true. We welcome a thorough and transparent process.”
Imm also says he believes Long asked Theetge to resign at the request of the mayor. Pureval denied the allegation in a statement to WVXU: "No, I did not direct this. This is an administrative decision and it's the City Manager's decision." Pureval released a statement Monday evening saying he fully supports Long's decision.
In a statement Tuesday afternoon, Pureval said he is grateful for Theetge’s decades of service: “I have full confidence in Interim Chief Hennie, and City Manager Long and I had the opportunity to meet with him and his Assistant Chiefs this morning. During that meeting, we discussed his planned emphasis on greater use of technology, visibility, and rapid response to critical incidents – on top of spearheading the recommendations from the climate assessment. At this moment and moving forward, our focus remains on keeping Cincinnatians safe."
Long declined to address Imm’s claims that Pureval directed her to remove Theetge, and that she and Pureval vetoed several public safety proposals.
In a statement released in the middle of Imm’s press conference, Long said she respects Theetge’s decades of service to the city: “Public safety is this Administration’s top priority and we are responsible for delivering on that for the public. The City remains committed to a fair and transparent process that protects both the department and the people we serve.
Long says Interim Chief Hennie will ensure stability as the investigation is conducted.
What happens next?
City officials have not explained what the internal investigation will entail, who will conduct it, or how long it might take. Imm said Theetge also has not been told this information.
Finney Law Firm, including Imm specifically, are representing former Fire Chief Michael Washington, who is suing the city after Long fired him in 2023. Washington is alleging wrongful termination.
That lawsuit is ongoing, but in August, a federal judge ruled on one piece of the allegations. Judge Stephanie K. Bowman said the city violated Washington's right to due process by not offering him a hearing before his termination.
"[Theetge's] employment is governed by the city charter, and after six months of employment, she can only be removed for cause. So she is not an at-will employee at this point," Imm said. "That's one of the key results of the litigation that we're handling for Chief Mike Washington, the former fire chief, and the courts have established that the chief is not an at-will employee and can only be terminated if there's cause."
Imm declined to directly answer whether Theetge will sue the city.
"I can't tell you right now what we're going to do next," Imm said. "I can say we're looking at all options."
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