Former Cottonwood Police Chief Steve Gesell filed a notice of claim against the city for wrongful termination on Nov. 2. Gesell is claiming $625,000 for three years’ lost salary and benefits.
After being placed on administrative leave in May, Gesell was terminated by the city on Thursday, Sept. 14, following an independent investigation by the law firm Osborn Maledon, P.A. into his conduct after a city council meeting on May 9, 2023.
The investigators concluded that Gesell’s conduct violated city policies as set out in Section 8 of the city of Cottonwood’s employee manual, including insubordination. The subject of the meeting was a discrimination complaint that had been filed by Cottonwood police officer Kiedi Dever the previous May.
Dever’s complaint alleged sex-based discrimination in employment, which she later amended to include allegations of disability based discrimination and retaliation.
Following an investigation, the Civil Rights Division of the Arizona Attorney General’s Office determined that there was reasonable cause to believe that Cottonwood discriminated against Dever based on her sex and disability and had retaliated against her for filing a complaint. The ACRD investigation found that Dever was subjected to hostility and unwarranted disciplinary actions by male supervisors at CPD. The city then entered into a settlement with Dever, who received compensation of $67,142.92 and was reassigned as a detective, and guaranteed the detective’s position for a...
KUALA LUMPUR: Three construction company directors will face charges in the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court tomorrow for submitting false claims related to a Klang Valley highway construction project....