Former College Park police chief calls for investigation of city

College Park’s former police chief is calling for an investigation into allegations that she faced “pressures, unethical directives and politically motivated interference,” including requests that she inappropriately fire employees.

Connie Rogers, who resigned in December, says she repeatedly was pressured to fire members of her staff “without legitimate cause, documentation or due process.”

“These directives were driven by political influence rather than operational necessity or performance concerns,” Rogers wrote in a Jan. 8 grievance letter to City Council members and other city officials.

The letter does not say who at the city allegedly pressured her, and it is unclear if any employees in the police department were actually fired as a result.

But the letter, obtained this week by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, also says Rogers was pressured to rehire a retired officer “solely due to his political influence with certain City Council members, disregarding department needs, proper hiring procedures and fairness to existing staff.”

The letter does not name the council members, and it is unclear who the officer is.

Rogers also claims she was pressured to draft correspondence on behalf of a councilwoman’s husband after “his participation in disrupting an open meeting. This request was ethically improper and placed me in a position contrary to my duty to uphold neutrality, fairness and professional standards.”

Rogers’ letter says she will “pursue further legal action if these concerns are not thoroughly investigated and appropriately resolved.”

“This grievance also serves as formal notice of my intent to protect my rights under federal and state employment law, including those enforced by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission,” she wrote.

WSB-TV first reported on details of Rogers’ grievances and her call for an investigation.

The letter does not name the councilwoman whose husband allegedly disrupted the meeting, but council member Jamelle McKenzie said the allegation refers to her husband.

In an interview on Thursday, McKenzie declined to provide details about the incident. After the story published on Friday, however, she said it actually was Mayor Bianca Motley Broom’s husband who initially disrupted the meeting. During an uproar that ensued, McKenzie said people were criticizing her, which she said prompted her husband to say: “‘That’s my wife you’re talking about.’”

In response, Motley Broom said: “I disagree with my colleague’s assertions. This appears to be an attempt to deflect from Chief Rogers’ very serious allegations.”

McKenzie said Thursday the police chief reports directly to the city manager and that council members “do not have the authority to direct the activities of city staff.”

“Any discussions I had with Chief Rogers occurred in coordination with the City Manager,” McKenzie added. “At no time did I issue a directive, nor do I have the authority to do so.”

According to McKenzie, Rogers resigned before her grievances could be reviewed and addressed by the city manager or City Council.

“Allegations of this nature are serious, and established processes exist to ensure concerns can be evaluated appropriately and responsibly,” McKenzie said in her email.

Rogers declined to be interviewed Thursday, saying she was following her attorney’s advice.

The allegations were made just weeks after former City Manager Lindell Miller claimed the City Council ousted her in November because she refused to waive permits for a developer, against the wishes of council members Joe Carn and Tracie Arnold.

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

A few weeks later, the City Council unanimously approved Carn’s proposal for a citywide suspension of certain construction and planning fees through the end of March, prompting Motley Broom to raise concerns that the measure appeared tailored to benefit a favored developer.

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In a statement, Motley Broom called Rogers’ allegations “deeply troubling.”

“Concerns of this nature should not be ignored and warrant a thorough and independent investigation,” Motley Broom said in an email. “I will continue to advocate for us to be open and accountable in all city operations, and I expect this matter to be handled with the seriousness it deserves.”

Council member Roderick Gay declined to comment on Thursday. Phone messages left for Carn and Arnold on Thursday were not returned.

Rogers, who made the initial allegations in two letters to the City Council dated Dec. 9 before providing more details in the Jan. 8 letter, says she is seeking “appropriate severance pay in recognition of the untenable and ethically compromising environment I have endured.”

The city’s police force is now led by Interim Police Chief Sharis McCrary.

Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to include new comments council member Jamelle McKenzie provided to the AJC after publication of the story, and Mayor Bianca Motley Broom’s response to those comments.

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