Former College Park Police Chief Connie Rogers has filed a federal lawsuit against the city, claiming she was discriminated against because of her sexual orientation and pushed out in retaliation for digging into suspected misuse of public funds, including a nearly $500,000 payment to Keller Williams and the purchase of two police-funded golf carts. Rogers resigned in December 2025, and her complaint lands amid a string of other legal and ethical disputes swirling around City Hall.
Lawsuit Filed in Federal Court
Rogers filed her complaint on Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, according to SaportaReport. The suit alleges denial of equal protection based on sexual orientation, sex discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and retaliation under the Georgia Whistleblower Act. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission issued Rogers a notice of right to sue, and she is demanding a jury trial.
The complaint ties her treatment to her investigation into a nearly $500,000 payment made to Keller Williams by the Business and Industrial Development Authority, known as BIDA. Per the lawsuit, Rogers sought warrants related to the funds paid to the brokerage. City officials have said the payment lacked proper approval and that they did not learn about the payout until months later, the outlet's report notes. Former City Manager Emanuel Adediran approved the payment, which he said was attached to a contract signed by then-BIDA chair Tracy Wyatt.
Golf Carts and a Reported Pressure Campaign
Rogers' lawsuit also alleges that Councilman Joe Carn directed Adediran to approve the purchase of two golf carts using police department funds, and she contends the purchases were kept below $10,000 specifically to avoid going through her for approval. The same account states that Rogers reported her suspicions of misused public funds to Adediran and to Lindell Miller. The complaint further alleges that Rogers was asked to issue arrest warrants against political enemies of Councilwoman Jamelle McKenzie, and it claims McKenzie wanted Rogers terminated because Rogers is married to another woman.
The lawsuit describes Nichole Menzies as an associate of McKenzie and Councilwoman Tracie Arnold, and separately alleges that Wyatt and Arnold were romantically involved. McKenzie has pushed back hard on the characterizations, telling the outlet the allegations against her in the complaint are false. She said reporting a concern to law enforcement is not the same as directing police to arrest someone or demanding an unlawful warrant, and added that she may report conduct she believes constitutes harassment or a threat to her safety. McKenzie also said Menzies is not her associate and that she never asked anyone to misuse police authority for political purposes.
A December Warning, Then Resignation
Per the lawsuit, then-Deputy Chief Sharis McCrary, who now holds the chief's role, warned Rogers in December 2025 that officials planned to terminate her employment. The complaint states McCrary specifically told Rogers she would be fired the next day and that an outside agency would escort her from the premises at McKenzie's request. Rogers resigned shortly after that warning. Rogers and McCrary reportedly share the same attorney, Artur Davis, who has said Rogers was a victim of political interference and low-level sexist bias.
Broader Turmoil at City Hall
Rogers has previously described a sustained pattern of inappropriate pressures, unethical directives, and politically motivated interference within the police department, according to WSB-TV. She has said the trouble began after new City Council members were elected in 2024 and that leaders retaliated when she refused certain requests. College Park Mayor Bianca Motley Broom has since requested an independent investigation into Rogers' allegations.
The Keller Williams payment has drawn separate scrutiny as well. An independent investigation concluded that Wyatt engaged in a sustained pattern of misconduct during his 2024 tenure as BIDA chair by executing brokerage agreements without lawful authority, WSB-TV reported. The city has said it is reviewing all available administrative and legal remedies to address the matter, including possible recovery options meant to restore accountability and public trust.
Council Meeting Ends Without a Vote
The fallout reached the council dais earlier this month. During the Oct. 19 city council meeting, Roderick Gay moved to remove Wyatt from the BIDA board, but council members Arnold and Carn left, preventing a quorum and a vote, per the SaportaReport account.
Rogers' case is not the only legal challenge College Park is facing. Arnold, Carn and the city are defendants in a separate lawsuit filed Oct. 15 in Fulton County Superior Court, which, according to AJC, alleges that council members and other city officials orchestrated a plot involving the former Chelsea Gardens apartments. The former Chelsea Gardens owners allege city officials used code enforcement powers to financially cripple them, force foreclosure and facilitate redevelopment by a favored new owner, and they have filed a nearly $15 million lawsuit against College Park, according to a separate SaportaReport account. College Park is also the subject of two federal discrimination complaints alleging that sexism, intimidation and retaliatory behavior have permeated the city's administrative offices, per AJC.
