MONROE, La. – Former Monroe Interim Police Chief Reggie Brown claims he was unfairly terminated and is now appealing the decision.
“They had no cause to terminate him,” Attorney Carol Powel Lexing said.
Brown was placed on paid administrative leave September 4 and eventually fired November 23.
Carol Powell Lexing, a Monroe-based civil rights attorney, is representing Brown.
“They were clearly wrong in their unjustified termination of Corporal Brown,” Lexing said.
Lexing said Brown was out on leave for alleged misconduct involving the Timothy Williams investigation.
Williams said he was handcuffed and beaten by at least two officers during an arrest in April.
In September, Monroe Police told KNOE Brown being put on leave had nothing to do with the Williams investigation.
Lexing said when Brown requested information about the alleged misconduct, the city failed to provide it.
“Right now, he has appealed his unjustified termination from the Monroe Police Department because, at this point, we’re still trying to figure it out because the termination was so arbitrary and capricious that they didn’t provide us with any specific information to explain the termination,” Lexing said.
Lexing said Brown’s due process rights were violated and claims his firing was politically motivated.
Brown was one of the original candidates to become the next chief of police after former chief Eugene Ellis retired in January.
“The political agenda is with the current administration in wanting to prevent Corporal Brown from continuing his role as interim chief of police and basically knocked him out as candidate for chief of police,” Lexing said.
Brown’s appeal in front of the Civil Service Board is scheduled March 2.
Lexing said their goal is to seek full exoneration and full reinstatement.
“The board will hear all the evidence where we will put on witnesses, and we’ll just produce evidence that they were wrong in their determination,” Lexing said.
