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Tennessee police chief may have employment law claim, fired twice

On Behalf of | Jan 29, 2018 | Employment Law

It seems unlikely that one would be fired from the same position twice, let alone for the same reason. But a small town in Tennessee is seeing just that. A local police chief, along with his attorney, are considering his employment law options after they say he was the victim of a wrongful termination.  

The chief was called to a meeting with the mayor and given a list of reasons he was being let go, again. The law enforcement officer says the reasons were the exact same as those given three years ago, word for word. The statement given by the police chief was also the same one he had given three years ago.

According to the mayor, after consulting with attorneys, the allegations behind the initial firing were accurate and just. The process of disciplining the police chief is where mistakes were made. After the mayor reviewed each reason for termination along with the evidence to support it, he decided that it was in the best interest of the state to let the chief go. The violations  cited included Tennessee  state statutes and regulations of the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Being dismissed from an employment position for any reason can be stressful and create a financial burden for the person affected. When one is terminated from a position, reinstated and then let go again, the validity of the reasons for the decision is clearly suspect. Should a Tennessee resident find that he or she has been terminated from a position and believes the reasons are unfair, unjust, questionable or down right illegal, seeking the advice of an employment law attorney can provide answers and direction with regard to pursuing legal recourse.

Source: lebanondemocrat.com, “Lebanon Democrat: Bowen fired as police chief after being reinstated”, Jacob Smith, Jan. 19, 2018

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