CINCINNATI — While Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Theetge's attorney said she just wants to get back to work, he said they are also considering all options, and didn't rule out a potential lawsuit following the city suddenly placing her on leave.
Attorney Stephen Imm never outright threatened a lawsuit during a Tuesday morning press conference to address her leave, but it wouldn't be the first time the city has faced threats of one after firing a high-ranking employee.
Ten years ago, a different Cincinnati police chief was in a similar situation.
Former police chief Jeffrey Blackwell was fired in 2015 — by then-City Manager Harry Black, who would go on to threaten his own lawsuit after his 2018 resignation.
Blackwell was accused of creating "a work environment of hostility and retaliation" and at the time, Black said Blackwell abused others to convey authority, disregarded the chain of command and retaliated against command officers he blamed for bad publicity.
After Blackwell attended a conference on the Collaborative Agreement in 2016 and said he intended to sue the city for wrongful termination, the city agreed to pay him.
Blackwell was given a settlement agreement that amounted to 1.5 years' salary, plus a $10,000 bonus and other costs. In all, the city paid Blackwell more than $250,000 and in exchange, Blackwell agreed not to sue.
Then, two years later, the man who fired Blackwell faced his own termination. Just minutes before the sitting city council at the time planned to oust him, Black announced his resignation. That decision stemmed from a public conflict between Black and then-Mayor John Cranley.
Black also threatened to sue the city, but before anything was filed the City of Cincinnati agreed on a settlement with him totaling $544,000, plus benefits.
While those incidents were both under different city councils and different mayors, the current City of Cincinnati administration is in the midst of its own lawsuit following the firing of Cincinnati Fire Chief Michael Washington.
Washington is being represented by Finney Law Firm, the same firm hired by Theetge after rumors about her status with the department began spreading following a shooting on Fountain Square.
In February, an Ohio court denied the City of Cincinnati's request to throw out Washington's lawsuit; the city appealed part of that decision and the case is currently making its way through the United States Court of Appeals for the 6th District.
Washington was fired on March 24, 2023. In his termination documentation, City Manager Sheryl Long cites a concerning workplace culture that is unwelcome towards women, his unavailability during a major apartment fire in February 2023, ignoring HR guidance, and his lack of accountability.
In the lawsuit, Washington called these allegations "groundless" and "exaggerated" and alleged that he had no opportunity to defend himself. He also claims Long began a public relations campaign against him rather than giving him the opportunity to be heard, and that his wrongful termination has hurt his reputation and ability to be hired at a similar level.
Finney Law Firm is also currently representing a man who claims he was not allowed to return to his job from medical leave, and was instead replaced by a "much younger employee," the lawsuit filed in February alleges.
That man worked as an engineering technician for the city, until he was diagnosed with epilepsy, the lawsuit says.
Following his diagnosis, a doctor determined the man could resume all of his duties at work but one — driving using his Commercial Driver's License (CDL), according to the lawsuit. The man was placed on medical leave, but claims the city refused to allow him to return to his current job in light of the restrictions.
That lawsuit is claiming the city discriminated against the man based on his epilepsy, which is considered a disability under Ohio law; it also claims age discrimination, because the man was allegedly replaced by someone much younger.
That case is still making its way through the courts.
The city announced Monday Theetge had been placed on paid administrative leave "pending an internal investigation into the effectiveness of her leadership."
"The City continues to face serious public safety challenges that underscore the need for stability at the command level. Therefore, I’ve named Assistant Chief Adam Hennie as Interim Police Chief," City Manager Sheryl Long said in a statement. "Our focus remains on maintaining stability within the department and ensuring the highest standards of service to our residents. I have full confidence in Interim Chief Hennie and the department’s command staff to continue their dedicated work at this time."
On Tuesday, Imm said Theetge just wants to return to her role as police chief, but he said all options were being considered. He said Theetge's employment is governed by the city's charter and, after six months of employment, she can only be dismissed for cause — she is not an at-will employee.
He also said she has no plans to resign from her role, despite city officials asking her to late last week.
"She was given no reason for that request," Imm said. "She did not initiate discussions about her resignation and she had no desire to resign. She has no desire to resign. She has no intention to resign."
Imm called the decision to place Theetge on leave "disheartening" and said Theetge was devastated — but that the city has no reason to take action against her.
"She is being used as a political scapegoat and a political pawn," Imm said. "Terri deserves better than this. Cincinnati deserves better than this."
