Controversy continues to roil the Sedona Police Department as former Deputy Chief Ryan Kwitkin, terminated from his position earlier this year, takes legal action against the city's officials and former boss. Kwitkin, who filed a lawsuit earlier this month, alleges that his firing represented retaliation after he raised concerns about Police Chief Stephanie Foley's conduct and questionable departmental practices. Kwitkin's attorney, Troy Foster, argues that his client's constitutional rights and state employment law were violated, according to details obtained by FOX 10 Phoenix.
Following an internal investigation that cleared Foley of creating a hostile work environment, Kwitkin found himself placed on paid administrative leave, a decision made by the City Manager, not by Chief Foley. The subsequent investigation into Kwitkin led to 10 of the 13 allegations against him being sustained, including that of aggressive behavior and harassment. Despite the city's position, Kwitkin stands firm that the truth about the circumstances of his termination has yet to fully emerge. "There is some truth to it, but a lot of the allegations were spun to put me in a negative light," Kwitkin told FOX 10 Phoenix.
The strife within the Sedona Police Department first came to light when Kwitkin and another officer sent a letter to the City of Sedona accusing Chief Foley of "belittling and disruptive behavior." Despite these allegations, a third-party HR firm found no cause for action against the chief, a purity of findings that Kwitkin's legal team ascribes to a potential suppression of testimony from others within the department. "She was positioned in a place where anybody who had concerns about her, she could see where they were and where they were coming from, so I think that probably, people didn’t come forward," said Kwitkin's attorney.
In response to his termination, Kwitkin previously filed a notice of claim with the city, requesting $360,000 to skirt litigation — a figure not detailed in its calculation — as reported by Red Rock News. The claim, which faced a 60-day deadline for the city to respond, sets the stage for the current lawsuit should the city refuse the offer. Meanwhile, Sedona city officials, under the mounting pressure of the scrutiny, have remained reticent, offering no further comment on the subject.
Kwitkin has also taken aim at particular policies within the department, voicing concerns over the use of volunteer officers for transporting arrestees and the permissibility of warning shots under certain circumstances. Such critiques underscore Kwitkin's assertion that he was striving to update outdated police practices inconsistent with contemporary standards. His lawsuit is asking for back pay, reinstatement, as well as compensatory and punitive damages, and he is demanding a jury trial. "If doing the right thing was easy, everybody would do it," he remarked in a claim that rings with a resoluteness befitting the gravity of the legal battle ahead.
