GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. -- A Golden Valley police officer was terminated this summer after an investigation found that she had disclosed private employee data without permission and made racist and offensive statements during staff meetings.
The investigation by law firm Green Espel started in March following approval from the city council, after a Golden Valley employee submitted a complaint alleging toxic and inappropriate work culture.
In the end, the firm recommended one officer - identified as Kristen Hoefling in publicly available documents – should be terminated because she violated the state's data practices law and made "racist and offensive" statements.
City documents show her last day of employment was Aug. 2. Seven other police officers were subject to the investigation, and all but one are no longer employed with the city. A spokeswoman for the city said 12 officers have left the department since March, but did not say if they left voluntarily or were dismissed. That leaves the city with 19 officers when it budgeted for 31.
The redacted report says that Hoefling disclosed "private personnel data regarding at least 26 city employees to fellow employees, including supervisory staff, members of the public, and to media outlets." She also made "racist and offensive statements" captured during a meeting in May of 2021, the report said.
The firm found she had secretly recorded that meeting, focused on equity and inclusion. It allegedly shows that though she was on...
You don't have permission to access "http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-charges-and-guilty-pleas-involving-12-individuals-election" on this server. Reference #18.b689cc17.1...