Former East Liverpool, OH Officer Chris Green with K-9 Officer Nero

East Liverpool, OH – Giving up its defense of a federal civil-rights lawsuit, the City of East Liverpool, Ohio has agreed to pay its former police officer Christopher ("Chris") Green $316,500 to settle, and retract all previously imposed discipline and false allegations against him. The City had to take a bank loan to pay Green the settlement.

The complaint alleged that Green “engaged in constitutionally protected free speech—as a private citizen—by reporting allegations of misconduct and criminal behavior by other police officers to the Federal Bureau of Investigation,” including “thefts,” “unconstitutional searches, seizures, arrests, and prosecutions,” “false accusation(s),” “interference and obstruction into drug investigation,” and “use of excessive force against a handcuffed, detained, and non-threatening individual.”

According to Green's amended complaint, Green reported the following alleged incidents to the FBI, among others:

• Officers John Headley and Captain Tatgenhorst’s scheme to overbill for time worked as school resource officers, resulting in thefts.
  
  
• Captain Tatgenhorst’s scheme to report attendance at K-9 training and being paid for such training that he did not attend, resulting in theft, false reporting, and unconstitutional searches, seizures, arrests, and prosecutions.
  
  
• Captain Tatgenhorst’s false accusation that Green conducted an improper stop, the propriety of which Captains Wright and Headley had already confirmed.
  
  
• Captain Tatgenhorst’s interference and obstruction into the drug investigation of Jacob Boyle, Jordan Fields (Tatgenhorst’s nephew), and Fields’s wife.
  
  
• Captain Tatgenhorst’s complaint against Green about Nero’s bite during an arrest.
  
  
• Captain Headley and Officer Ramsey’s use of excessive force against a handcuffed, detained, and non-threatening individual.
  
  
• Captain Tatgenhorst’s interference in the drug investigation of Juan Carlos Sprott (Tatgenhorst’s daughter’s boyfriend/fiancé).

After Green reported misconduct to the FBI, the suit alleged, “East Liverpool Mayor Gregory Bricker, Safety Service Director David Dawson, Captain Fred Flati, Captain Darin Morgan, Captain Chad Tatgenhorst, and Officer Robert "Moose" Ramsey (of East Liverpool Township) engaged in a retaliatory campaign to investigate and report false and fraudulent allegations against Green" that "resulted in his unlawful suspension and termination from the police department.”

Besides federal constitutional violations, the suit also alleged various Ohio-law claims for civil liability for criminal acts, including:

• Intimidation (using a false or fraudulent writing), against Ramsey, Flati, Morgan, and Dawson;
  
  
• Intimidation (against a witness), against Bricker, Dawson, Flati, Morgan, Tatgenhorst, and Ramsey;
  
  
• Tampering with records, against Bricker, Dawson, Flati, Morgan, and Ramsey;
  
  
• Tampering with evidence, against Dawson, Flati, Morgan, Tatgenhorst, and Ramsey;
  
  
• Telecommunications harassment, against Tatgenhorst;
  
  
• Interfering with civil and statutory rights, against Bricker, Dawson, Flati, Morgan, Tatgenhorst, and Ramsey.

The lawsuit also alleged the City of East Liverpool recklessly hired and retained officers it knew were unfit for duty because of their bad behavior, causing harm to Green.

An earlier settlement paid by Ramsey's insurer for $18,000 brings the total settlements paid to Green to $334,500.

An earlier version of the settlement with East Liverpool required the City to repurchase, from Henderson County, NC sheriff Lowell Griffin, Chris Green's former K-9 officer companion Nero. The City violated state law by failing to give Nero to Green.

After initially agreeing to the sale, Sheriff Griffin reneged. Because of this, and the City of East Liverpool's retaliatory flouting of the law to begin with, Green was completely deprived of a right that canine officers have under state law.

The City then paid directly to Green the portion of the settlement that had been previously allocated for Nero's repurchase.

Green received national recognition for his work combating drug crimes. Recently, he has been able to resume his career in law enforcement.

Subodh Chandra, one of Green's attorneys, said, “No police officer deserves to be fired for reporting concerns about misconduct to the FBI. With this settlement and the City agreeing to retract all allegations and discipline, Chris Green has been completely vindicated."

Co-counsel Martin Desmond added, “I’m very happy for Chris. I, too, know what it’s like to stand up against injustice and wrongdoing—to do the right thing—only to have others retaliate against you and try to harm you for it.”

The case is captioned Green v. City of East Liverpool, et al., N.D. Ohio Case No. 4:23-cv-00445, was assigned to United States District Judge John R. Adams. The amended federal complaint may be viewed here. Judge Adams will have continuing jurisiction over the settlement and the City's promises.

Green was represented by Subodh Chandra and Donald P. Screen of The Chandra Law Firm LLC, and co-counseled by Martin P. Desmond. Desmond himself is a former Chandra Law client who was a retaliation victim of after he reported unconstitutional misconduct occurring in former-Mahoning County Prosecutor Paul Gains’s office. Desmond obtained a $550,000 settlement.

Gains resigned in the middle of his term a few months after the case was settled.

Chandra Law and Desmond also teamed-up in the case of Morrison v. Mahoning County, et al., which alleged civil-rights violations, civil liability for criminal acts, defamation, and other state-law claims against several Mahoning County public officials, including the commissioners, county administrator, and prosecuting attorney.

And they co-represented Rudzik Excavating in its successful First Amendment–retaliation suit against Mahoning County and its officials.

Chandra Law has experience obtaining justice for victims of First Amendment and employment retaliation, including public employees. The firm helped pioneer work in holding individuals and companies accountable for civil liability for criminal acts, securing the two leading Supreme Court of Ohio decisions favorable to crime victims on the topic. If you think that your rights have been violated, you may contact us to discuss your options.