VERO BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — City leaders in Vero Beach are about to take a private look at a lawsuit filed by a longtime police lieutenant, a case that raises questions about how complaints inside the police department were handled.
On Tuesday, May 12, the city council is scheduled to hold a closed meeting to talk with the city attorney about the lawsuit filed by Lt. Daniel Cook. The meeting will not be open to the public and no votes can be taken. Under Florida law, cities are allowed to meet privately to discuss legal strategy when facing active lawsuits.
Cook worked for the Vero Beach Police Department for 35 years. In his 24-page lawsuit, he says he was punished after speaking up about what he felt was unfair treatment and a hostile work environment inside the department.
According to court records, Cook says things came to a head in March 2024. He reached out to City Manager Monte Falls through text messages and email, telling him he believed Police Chief David Currey was targeting him. Cook said he felt uncomfortable at work and believed the chief thought he was sharing internal department information with outsiders — something Cook says he never did.
Cook says he never heard back from the city manager.
Not long after that, the city’s human resources department stepped in and launched an internal investigation into Cook’s complaints, according to the lawsuit. When that review was finished, the city concluded there was no hostile work environment and no retaliation...
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