Former Medina police Jeffrey Chen has filed a federal lawsuit against the city, claiming his dismissal last year had more to do with race and personal prejudice than job performance.
Chen previously filed claims against the city and a public records complaint with the King County Superior Court. Chen claims that he was terminated by City Manager Donna Hanson in April 2011, following a four-month administrative leave, because he attempted to blow the whistle for secret raises tucked into the budget. He also claims his firing is racially motivated.
“Hanson’s decision against Chief Chen was based on her personal, subjective belief about whether Chief Chen was truthful, and that subjective belief grew out of Ms. Hanson’s prejudice towards Chief Chen’s race and national origin, as well as a retaliatory attitude Ms. Hanson had,” according to court documents filed last month.
The city responded to the federal lawsuit, claiming Chen’s accusations to be “overly verbose and repetitive” without making substantial claims. Medina asked that the claims be dismissed because they did not follow federal guidelines.
