A former top administrator in the St. Louis Sheriff’s Office is taking the city and her old boss to court, claiming she lost her job for helping state and federal investigators dig into the department’s troubles.
Tashana Syas, who handled personnel and fiscal operations for the sheriff’s office, has filed a lawsuit seeking reinstatement, back pay and other relief after what she says was a retaliatory firing.
Syas says cooperation with investigators cost her the job
In her complaint, Syas accuses the City of St. Louis and former Sheriff Alfred Montgomery of retaliation, whistleblower violations, discrimination based on race, sex and age, slander and wrongful termination. The suit asks a judge to put her back in her old role, award back pay and damages and grant additional relief, according to First Alert 4.
Montgomery’s removal after misconduct findings
Syas’ lawsuit lands in the shadow of a rare and very public ouster. The Missouri Attorney General’s Office says a judge permanently removed Montgomery from office in December 2025 after a quo warranto case found misconduct serious enough to justify removal. The office’s release outlines allegations that included unlawful arrests, misuse of taxpayer resources and failures to transport detainees for medical care, which the state argued warranted his removal from the job. Missouri Attorney General’s Office
Deposition, firing and a federal indictment
Syas cooperated with the attorney general’s quo warranto investigation and was deposed in late August, according to reporting from St. Louis Public Radio. She says she was fired in September after being told that she and other staff members were suddenly barred from accessing the courthouse.
The same reporting notes that Montgomery was federally indicted in October 2025 on counts that included witness retaliation and tampering and that he has remained in federal custody since.
What is at stake in Syas’ case
If a court agrees Syas was punished for cooperating with investigators, the legal remedies she is asking for - reinstatement, back pay and compensatory damages - are typical outcomes in such cases. Her complaint also becomes another entry in a long list of audits and legal disputes that have trailed the sheriff’s office and fueled intense local scrutiny, including Montgomery’s recent temporary removal from office.
City stays quiet as the case begins
First Alert 4 reported that there was no immediate comment from the City of St. Louis or from representatives for Montgomery in response to the lawsuit.
For now, Syas’ suit is a live civil case waiting for its turn on the docket. The schedule for hearings and formal responses from the defendants will be set as lawyers begin filing motions and the court lays out the next steps.
