Former police chief files suit against City of Ronan
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Former Ronan Police Chief John Mitchell filed a lawsuit Oct. 16 in Lake County District Court alleging the City of Ronan violated public meetings laws and employee policy requirements when he was demoted and fired earlier this year.
The complaint claims Mitchell was a model employee who never received a written reprimand and had favorable personnel performance reviews while he served first as a reserve officer beginning in 2008, and as a full-time officer beginning on Sept. 10, 2012.
Mitchell was hired as police chief Jan. 21, 2014 after the previous chief Val Maxwell was fired after 10 weeks on the job for incompetence. Maxwell was the successor to longtime chief Dan Wadsworth, who had his law enforcement certifications stripped by state officials in July 2013 for allegedly falsifying his son Trevor’s law enforcement certification.
Mitchell’s complaint claims he was punished for conducting a thorough background check into a newly hired officer’s former employment. The officer cast Mitchell into a derogatory light to Mayor Kim Aipperspach and the Ronan City Council, until a point where Mitchell was demoted on April 22.
The complaint alleges all officers were verbally placed in equal standing and Aipperspach then proclaimed himself to be chief of police.
Mitchell claims he was not given two weeks notice of the demotion or a chance to appeal within five days, as are required by personnel policy.
A May 13 note to city officials reduced Mitchell’s pay from $19 per hour to $13 per hour. Mitchell then took a medical leave of absence. When he was cleared for light duty, he was allegedly not allowed to come back to work.
On Sept. 16 Mitchell received a handwritten letter from the mayor terminating employment. No reason for termination was made and there was no mention of a grievance process. On Sept. 25 Mitchell said he received another letter from an attorney, terminating employment.
“The letter stated the cause of termination consisted of ‘deceit and dishonesty,” Mitchell’s attorney wrote in the complaint.
No appeal form or grievance process was given, according to the complaint.
On Sept. 25 Mitchell received word from a city official that the city official held an executive session meeting to terminate his employment on Sept. 8, though the public notice for the meeting did not include it on the agenda.
The complaint alleges the Ronan City Council met in a quorum that did not provide proper public notice or allow Mitchell the right to waive his right of privacy.
“It is not known what was discussed in this September meeting, nor is it known whether testimony or statements were taken because Mr. Mitchell is without record of any such meeting,” the complaint reads. “It is further unknown what other topics that affect the City were brought up or how often this occurs.”
The complaint does not specify what course of action or damages Mitchell is seeking in the case. The City of Ronan has until Thursday to respond to the suit. City officials did not respond to requests for comment.
