Ashland police chief alleges wrongful suspension over social media criticism
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Ashland's suspended police chief says in a lawsuit filed Monday that the city removed him from the job illegally because he criticized the mayor on social media.
Gabe Edwards, who was suspended in July for reasons that haven't been made public, claims he was put on leave because of a social media post he made that were critical of now-Mayor Dorise Slinker during the 2022 campaign. Edwards' lawsuit says the posts discussed Slinker's "criminal history."
The lawsuit does not describe the post further.
Edwards is seeking clarity on whether he has been fired along with back pay and reinstatement, according to the lawsuit. His lawsuit also alleges the city has no legal mechanism for putting someone on administrative leave.
A representative for the City of Ashland was not immediately available Monday.
Edwards was part of a lawsuit filed last week by a former officer, who alleged he was fired for reporting misconduct by Edwards. Edwards' name is not in the lawsuit but the timeline matches up with his tenure as chief.
The lawsuit states former officer Tom Whitener reported that Edwards had listed his wife and another one of his friends on the Ashland Police Department roster submitted to the Peace Officer Standards and Training Program, despite neither being employed by the City of Ashland. Documents allege the pair were included on the roster so they could concealed-carry a gun.
Court documents also allege that Edwards accessed restricted information through the Criminal Justice Information System “without a law enforcement purpose” and then leaked the information publicly under a second, anonymous Facebook account.
The lawsuit also claims Edwards used racial slurs towards Black employees and allegedly offered someone nude photos of an employee’s significant other.
That case is ongoing.
Edwards is the second police chief to be suspended by the city and then sue since 2020. Lyn Woolford sued the city in 2020 after he was suspended by the former mayor. Woolford alleged the mayor was retaliating because Woolford didn't intervene for him in a personal matter.
Woolford got a new job and settled the lawsuit with the city.
Check back for updates to this developing story.
