Former police chief Art Acevedo sues city of Miami, commissioners after being fired

MIAMI (AP) — The embattled former police chief of Miami is suing his former employer and city commissioners, saying his public firing three months ago was in retaliation for him speaking out against corruption.

Art Acevedo had a six-month tenure and was suspended and then fired after three raucous meetings, in which he says he was "purposefully humiliated" and fired for reporting abuses of power by elected officials.

The complaint was filed Wednesday in federal court against the city of Miami, its city manager Art Noriega and three city commissioners.

The lawsuit says a memo sent to the mayor and city manager accusing several commissioners of hampering his reform and meddling in the police department should have been protected by the First Amendment, but instead cost him his job. It says his firing was in violation of Florida Whistle-blower's Act, which protects employees against retaliatory actions for reporting abuses of power.

Read more: https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/politics/2022/01/20/417417/former-police-chief-art-acevedo-sues-city-of-miami-commissioners-after-being-fired/