Former EL officer files civil suit in federal court against city, administration and officers

Former East Liverpool police officer Christopher Green has filed a civil rights lawsuit in federal court against the City of East Liverpool, the city's administration and multiple police officers.

The lawsuit, filed March 6, alleges Green was wrongfully fired from his position as retaliation against him for reporting on the alleged misconduct of fellow officers to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

According to court records, Green's report of misconduct and the criminal activity with the city's police department to the FBI was made as a private citizen and not in the normal course of his duties. It was shortly after a meeting in his home with an FBI agent that Green informed Police Chief John Lane that he met with and reported the alleged misconduct and criminal activity that Green began to face increased retaliation and intimidation at the defendants' hands.

The lawsuit says that Green was fired after engaging in constitutionally protected free speech as a private citizen for his reporting the alleged misconduct and criminal behavior and that the defendants engaged in a retaliatory campaign to investigate and report false and fraudulent allegations against him. As a result he was unlawfully suspended and terminated from the police department.

Green was placed on leave in March 2021 due to an investigation into a call he responded to for a fight involving former Safety Director Brian Allen. He was terminated from his position in June 2021, following accusations from police officials of him lying about what happened during that fight call.

Green appealed the termination, but it was upheld by an arbitrator.

Named as defendants in the lawsuit are: The City of East Liverpool, Mayor Gregory Bricker, City Safety Director David Dawson and officers Fred Flati, Darin Morgan, Chad Tatgenhorst and Robert Ramsey.

Green is suing the defendants in both their official and personal capacities. He is requesting compensatory damages including back pay and punitive damages.

The suit has been filed in the U.S. District Court Northern District of Ohio (Youngstown) and assigned to U.S. Judge John R. Adams. A demand for a jury trial has been filed in the complaint.

Green is being represented by Attorney Martin P. Desmond of Youngstown and Donald Screen and Subodh Chandra of Cleveland.

There are no hearing dates currently listed on the case docket.

Kgarabrandt@mojonews.com