Ex-North Royalton Officer Spencer Lowe is suing the city, alleging a retaliatory firing for his whistleblower complaint on records tampering involving top officials.
CLEVELAND — A former North Royalton police officer who was fired after lodging a whistleblower complaint against top department brass is now suing the city, claiming his termination was retaliatory.
The civil rights lawsuit, filed Thursday by ex-Patrol Officer Spencer Lowe, also names Police Chief Keith Tarase and former Mayor Larry Antoskiewicz as defendants. The complaint alleges Lowe was dismissed from his position as payback for his attempting to report suspicions of records tampering related to the arrest of a former Orange Village deputy police chief.
Lowe was fired and Sgt. FloAnn Rybicki was demoted months after the former filed a formal whistleblower report with Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O'Malley. However, Antoskiewicz did not directly reference the complaint in Lowe's termination letter, instead writing that Lowe was being let go after he "improperly obtained and disseminated confidential departmental documents outside authorized departmental channels."
But Lowe's attorney Subodh Chandra says that explanation doesn't hold water, releasing a statement reading:
"Officer Lowe did exactly what the law and his oath required: he held a law-breaker accountable, regardless of his badge, and then reported allegations about his own supervisors' felonious tampering with public records and cover-up. The...
“When companies use kickbacks to influence prescribing, they erode trust in healthcare providers,” said special agent Helsing. Takeda Pharmaceuticals, U.S.A. Inc has agreed to $13,670,921 amid alle...