Judge Dismisses Former Charlottesville Police Chief’s $10M Wrongful Termination Suit

January 26, 2023

A federal judge has dismissed a former Virginia police chief’s $10 million wrongful termination lawsuit saying she didn’t have sufficient evidence of discrimination, conspiracy or malice.

U.S. District Judge Norman Moon said in an opinion published online Monday that he was granting a motion to dismiss because former Charlottesville police chief RaShall Brackney didn’t “allege sufficient facts” to support her claims, The Daily Progress reported.

Brackney, the city’s first black female police chief, was fired in 2021 in the wake of the deadly Unite the Right rally after three years of service. In June, she sued the city, alleging that her termination was the result of race, color and gender discrimination. She accused 10 government and police leaders of plotting to oust her, then harming her reputation in public comments.

She also claimed there was a “conspiracy” to have her removed in violation of Virginia’s whistleblower statute, defamation standard, Human Rights Act and Freedom of Information Act.

Brackney’s attorney Charles Tucker Jr. said that the suit provided “an extensive – not exhaustive – complaint with supporting exhibits” that he believed met “the legal standard” at this “early stage.” Tucker said they had “only just begun to battle,” but did not provide details on a possible appeal.

Topics Lawsuits Legislation Law Enforcement

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