Police Chief Faces Legal Battle Over Alleged City Hostility

A police chief in Chula Vista, who has been in charge since 2016, is now fighting back against the city. She was put on leave at the end of January and says she has been treated unfairly by city leaders. Her lawyer filed two formal complaints last week. One says the city’s manager and three council members made false claims to make her job so hard that she would quit. The complaint does not name the council members involved. The chief says the city pushed her to resign, even though she was ready to retire on her own terms. She learned of a retaliatory investigation only on February 24. The second complaint accuses the city manager of sharing private personnel details about her with people who do not work for the city. Her lawyer says a former staff member was involved in this leak. The city denied all the accusations and said it would handle the matter in the proper forum. A spokesperson confirmed it had received both complaints but rejected the claims as false.

The chief also filed a separate claim with the U. S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The city’s spokesperson said it would investigate any wrongdoing if proven. Rumors of conflict began after a January post by a local news outlet suggested the chief was on administrative leave and might not return. She clarified she was only on medical leave and would come back to work. Her lawyer sent a letter to the city demanding it keep all evidence related to possible retaliation, discrimination, or a hostile work environment. The city rejected the letter and called the allegations “entirely false. ” The tension may stem from an incident at a police union holiday party on December 13. An officer performed a dance that caused the chief to put money in his pockets, which her lawyer claims was used as a pretext to remove her.

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