Shelby Township’s Board of Trustees has ordered workplace climate and inclusion training for its police department after three female officers filed complaints accusing Police Chief Robert J. Shelide of making sexist remarks. The board signed off on the move this winter, following a months‑long internal review that investigators say backed up at least some of the allegations. Township leaders are presenting the training as a bid to reset department culture and patch up trust with both staff and residents.
According to Macomb Daily, the three officers filed their complaint in May 2025, alleging that Shelide repeatedly made sexist comments, including saying he would like to hire only 6‑foot 4‑inch males, referring to applicants as “chicks,” and twice telling women to let out of the kitchen, with one of those remarks allegedly made at a public event. The complaint also says the chief privately suggested that a recently postpartum officer move into a less strenuous role and that women in the department were passed over for recognition.
Shelby Township’s official website notes that Chief Shelide was hired on Jan. 12, 2015, and has spent nearly four decades in law enforcement, leading a department of roughly 80 officers. His tenure has not been without controversy: trustees suspended him for 30 days in June 2020 over inflammatory social‑media posts, as reported by FOX 2 Detroit.
Board hires trainer
The Board of Trustees voted to hire Spectrum Training Solutions, a White Lake firm, to run workplace climate and inclusion sessions for the department, Macomb Daily reported. That reporting also notes that investigator Joseph Urban concluded some of the chief’s alleged comments were substantiated, while finding no evidence that women had been denied promotions or awards because of their sex.
How complaints are handled
Shelby Township’s civil‑rights compliance policy spells out how employees can report discrimination claims, how those complaints are investigated, and how they are resolved. Under that policy, the board can order training or other corrective steps. This dispute prompted the township to set up an awards committee to choose annual department honorees, although the chief still has final say on who ultimately receives recognition.
Legal implications
Because the investigator’s report substantiated specific comments, the board’s decision to require training is a formal corrective measure that could shape any future discipline. Previous clashes over the chief’s conduct have already landed in court. Federal filings tied to protests and Shelide’s 2020 suspension remain on the public record and highlight how personnel controversies can escalate into broader legal battles. GovInfo records those earlier disciplinary actions and related legal challenges.
Trustees have signed off on the consultant and indicated the training will roll out soon, while community members who lodged the original complaints say they will be watching how it is carried out. The board’s move marks the latest chapter in a dispute that has simmered for more than a year, and officials say they hope the new training can finally help cool things down inside the department.
