Former Ballwin police chief sues city after firing, mayor calls lawsuit ‘frivolous’
By MATT WOODS and LAUREN TRAGER
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ST. LOUIS, Missouri (KMOV) — Former Ballwin Police Chief Doug Schaeffler sued the city of Ballwin after he was fired from the job by a unanimous vote from the board of aldermen in December.
The former chief’s lawsuit, filed on January 5, claims the board of aldermen “conspired to remove from office and wrongfully discharge” Schaeffer after he referred complaints about the mayor and a former city administrator to an outside police agency to investigate. It claims the city did not have just cause in firing Schaeffler or allow for due process.
Schaeffler, who was hired as police chief in 2019, was placed on leave in October before an investigation took place looking into his conduct on the job. The board held closed meetings to place the chief on leave and subsequently fire him. Details on the proceedings were redacted from meeting minutes, and no city officials spoke publicly about the firing until this week.
Mayor Tim Pogue responded to the chief’s lawsuit in a post on social media, calling it “frivolous.” In the post, he outlined previously undisclosed details on why the chief was fired.
Pogue said Schaeffler was placed on leave after city staff received allegations against him from police officers in the department. An investigation by an outside firm concluded that the chief violated policy by buying alcohol while on duty or in uniform, misusing the REJIS system to obtain criminal information for non-law enforcement purposes, and harassing department employees.
“That included creating a culture where the perception is that subordinate officers are rewarded for consuming alcohol with the Chief and those that do not are passed over for promotion or feel that applying is fruitless,” Pogue said.
In a statement Friday, Schaeffler’s legal counsel said they are “confident that we will prove in court that this removal not only violated Chief Schaeffler’s constitutional and statutory rights but that Chief Schaeffler’s decision to refer the investigation made by elected officials was protected under Missouri law.”
According to the statement, the harassment complaints against the mayor and city administrator were filed by an alderman in September. The statement also said Schaeffler “committed no misconduct” and “followed all relevant policies and procedures.”
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