Cincinnati’s police chief once sued for bias is fired, but her termination letter explains why she had to be ‘begged’ to fight crime

Cincinnati police chief Teresa Theetge has been fired from her position, marking a sudden end to her three-year tenure as the city’s top law enforcement officer. The decision to remove her, which follows a long 35-year career within the department, was announced by City Manager Sheryl Long. This move comes after a period of intense scrutiny regarding how the city handles public safety and leadership accountability.

The termination letter provided by Long is quite critical, highlighting a disconnect between the city administration and the police department’s leadership. One of the most striking details in the letter involves the city’s approach to anti-violence initiatives during a difficult summer last year. According to the letter, Theetge was resistant to the city’s strategic plans.

According to Fox News, Long wrote, “As just one example, you admitted that you did not agree with the City’s Summer Safety Plan, which included more police coverage in the urban core, and you admitted that I begged you to fill the police work details called for in the summer plan.” It is frustrating to see this kind of friction when public safety is on the line, and it’s clear that the administration felt their directives were being ignored.

Imagine your boss having to beg you to do your job

The tension reached a boiling point following a violent incident in the downtown area. In the early-morning hours of July 26, a confrontation took place outside the LoVe nightclub at the corner of Fourth and Elm Street. A video of the event circulated online, showing a group of suspects attacking two victims. The footage captured the suspects stomping on the victims, one of whom reportedly suffered neurological damage.

This incident brought significant attention to the city’s downtown business district, and in the following month, seven people were arrested and charged in connection with the beating. Leadership failures were also cited regarding events in October. Long pointed to two shootings that occurred in the Fountain Square area that month, noting that Theetge failed to provide necessary leadership in response to these incidents.

This dismissal follows a similar pattern of rapid departures in law enforcement, such as when the Osceola Police Chief resigned just 13 days after being sworn in following an altercation with a man in a wheelchair. The criticism went beyond administrative oversight, as Long specifically addressed a choice made by the chief following one of these events.

The letter stated, “You further admitted that on October 14 (the day after the second shooting) you chose to go to a play rather than attend a public safety town hall meeting.” Long added that Theetge “should not need to be told to attend a public safety meeting, the night after a shooting on Fountain Square.” This termination adds another layer of complexity to a tenure that was already marked by legal challenges. In May of last year, four White male officers filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against Theetge.

The suit alleged that the officers were passed over for promotions and preferred assignments due to their race and sex. The legal filing argued, “Defendants’ intentional and discriminatory practices in assigning Lieutenants to preferred assignments has disproportionately favored non-White males and/or females, without legitimate, non-discriminatory justification, thereby denying Plaintiffs equal employment opportunities.”

The lawsuit claimed the city and chief engaged in systemic efforts to prioritize certain groups, stating the department demonstrated “both a systemic practice of discrimination against white males, and that there are background circumstances to support the suspicion that the defendant is that unusual employer who discriminates against the majority.” With these internal legal battles and public criticism from the city manager, the path forward for the department will involve significant adjustments.

As of now, there has been no comment from Theetge’s attorney or the office of Mayor Aftab Pureval regarding the termination.