Former South Connellsville police chief sues borough, council over “illegal” termination
The former police chief with the South Connellsville Borough has filed a lawsuit against the borough alleging he was unlawfully terminated by the council from an ongoing feud with the fire department.
The lawsuit was filed in federal court by attorney Joel Sansone on behalf of Russell Miller, the former police chief with the borough, which was named as a defendant in the lawsuit, along with current council members Jerry Reagan, Don Ringer, Mary Riley and George Jay.
The suit states that Miller was the police chief for the borough for five years beginning around 2013.
In late 2015, Miller’s department increased DUI enforcement patrols near the South Connellsville Firemen’s Club to decrease various alcohol-related incidents near the club.
Because of that action, Sansone claims that Ringer, the president of the club and a private citizen at the time, would appear with others at council meetings to complain about Miller and the police department throughout 2016, which borough council determined that the complaints were patently false, according to the suit.
The complaint also claims that Ringer, Riley and Reagan, along with other club supporters, would continuously harass and threaten Miller as Reagan demanded Miller be removed and/or terminated from his position as police chief, but the council refused to do so.
Miller believed during that time, club members devised plots to discredit and/or harm certain police officers in the borough, which even resulted with Ringer and two other club members being charged with criminal offenses. The charges against Ringer for conspiracy for unsworn falsification to authorities and coerce/threat of official act were dismissed in magisterial district court and the charge of disorderly conduct was moved as a non-traffic citation.
The lawsuit states that Jay, a club supporter, was appointed to council in May of 2016 where he demanded that Miller be terminated from his position, but borough council refused to do so even as Jay continued to demand such action be taken at other public meetings.
In November of 2017, Ringer, Riley and Reagan were elected to council and during the regular meetings in November and December, Jay demanded Miller’s termination, but council refused to act.
Sansone writes that after the refusal, Jay stated, “We’re doing this when the new council takes over.”
On Jan. 22, Reagan, who was appointed as council president, entered Miller’s office and allegedly accused Miller of not following proper time-card procedures and not following orders and was sick of Miller “back talking” and his “insubordination.”
When Miller attempted to explain the proper time-card procedure, Reagan allegedly responded, “You know what, I’m sick of you. You’re fired,” and remarked that Miller needed to “move on.”
Miller collected his belongings and vacated the premises as Sansone states that Miller was not afforded a notice and opportunity to be heard at a legally-required pre-termination hearing.
On Feb. 8, the defendants voted to terminate Miller for allegedly abandoning his position, which Sansone states was materially false.
“[Miller] did not abandon his position,” Sansone writes. “Rather, [Miller’s] employment was unlawfully terminated on or about January 22, 2018, by Defendant Reagan in his capacity as president of Defendant Borough’s council.”
Sansone claims that Miller has been unable to secure employment, despite numerous good-faith efforts to do so, and has also suffered, and continues to suffer, extreme anxiety, stress, emotional trauma and mental anguish.
Miller is seeking compensatory general damages, compensatory special damages, legal fees and post-judgment interest.
Miller is facing four lawsuits in federal court alleging that he used his position improperly and is facing an official oppression charge in Fayette County Court for allegedly improperly charging a different woman who complained about him at a council meeting; he is awaiting trial in that case.
The South Connellsville Borough solicitor was unable to provide a response as of press time on Monday.