City has lost two lawsuits now with totals of more than $2 million
SAGINAW The city has lost two lawsuits now with totals of more than $2 million. And there’s more legal action pending.
There has been $1 million paid out to one former officer and $750,000 to another. Throw in legal fees and the cost of fighting these lawsuits, the city of Saginaw and its insurance company are spending a lot of money defending its police department.
“Negligence, bias and lies that have just snowballed through the years, and someone needs to stop that snowball,” said former Saginaw Police Officer Patrick Shaltry.
Shaltry is the latest person to lay claim to slowing that snowball. A federal jury has awarded Shaltry $750,000, claiming the city of Saginaw retaliated against Shaltry for reporting sexual harassment by his supervisor.
“It’s only a few key players that are doing the same thing over and over again, which is costing the city money,” Shaltry said.
According to the lawsuits, one of the players is Anjanette Tuer, head of Internal Affairs for the police department. She was also at the center of Danny McDole’s lawsuit. Two years ago, a federal jury awarded McDole $1 million in a discrimination suit.
“These are not easy cases to win,” said attorney Victor Mastromarco.
Both Shalty and McDole are represented by attorney Mastromarco, who is critical of city leaders for Saginaw’s legal woes.
“I believe it’s their arrogance that is causing these things to go to trial,” he said.
“We are concerned, but it’s not just as simple, like, ‘Yeah, things are screwed up in the police department,'” said Saginaw Mayor Greg Branch.
Branch says city taxpayers pay a small portion of the awards. Its insurance company pays the rest, and with at least four other similar lawsuits pending, changes are possible.
“There have been a lot of things we have talked about when it comes to Internal Affairs, but nothing has been solidified yet,” he said.
The city is appealing the verdict in the McDole case, and is considering doing the same in this latest legal defeat.
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