Capt. Jonathan Davis, head of the Springfield Park District Police Department, has quit.
In a letter of resignation dated today, Davis said that the district has retaliated against him for speaking out about corruption and racism. He writes that has been forced to resign and has filed complaints with the Illinois Department of Human Rights and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
“I will continue to pursue these charges so that others that come after me do not have to be subjected to the treatment that I have received and may have a fair opportunity at employment with the Springfield Park District,” Davis wrote in his letter of resignation addressed to park board president Leslie Sgro. “I truly miss serving the citizens of Springfield and wish the citizens of Springfield and the park patrons nothing but the best.”
Davis in his letter says that he spoke out about racism and corruption, but he does not cite specific examples or provide details about unfair treatment he says that he received during his 11 years as a park district employee. Davis declined an interview request. His lawyer could not be reached.
In his complaint filed with the Illinois Department of Human Rights and the EEOC on Feb. 17, Davis says that he was subjected to “different terms and conditions” starting last year, when his position as police captain was removed from the district’s police collective bargaining unit. The move came two years after he complained of an unspecified civil rights violation in 2012, according to the February complaint.
“(M)y work has been over-scrutinized and I have been treated differently when compared to other department heads in terms of spending budgets,” Davis writes in his complaint. “The different terms and conditions followed my opposition to race discrimination within such a period of time as to raise the inference of retaliatory motivation.”
Michael Theodore, Department of Human Rights spokesman, said that an investigation into Davis’ complaint is ongoing. Davis filed the complaint three weeks after he was placed on paid administrative leave on Jan. 26. Park district officials have refused to say why David was placed on leave. He had previously served a 10-day suspension for approving time cards for an employee that included hours that were not worked, according to the district.
In his resignation letter, Davis writes that the district’s investigator has told him that the probe that prompted him being placed on leave centered on “personality conflicts.” Davis also writes that parks director Derek Harms and Justin Reichert, an attorney for the district who specializes in labor matters, have unfairly tried to force him out of his job.
“The two of them have systematically over time conspired to terminate me or force me to resign, all in retaliation for my speaking out against racism and corruption within the park district and for speaking my mine in regards to the unsafe number of park police officers and allowing shifts to go vacant,” Davis wrote. “I certainly feel, as any reasonable person in my shoes would, that I have been constructively discharged. I have sustained un-repairable damage to my reputation in the professional law enforcement community and the public eye. I have been persecuted in the media and as a result often sustain long looks and snide comments of disgust while in public by those who think I must have violated my oath as an officer, as I have been placed on leave without public explanation. We know I haven’t violated my oath or my office; however, only negative information has been released to the public and often times leaked to the media to serve the agenda of a few.”
Park district officials could not be immediately reached for comment. The park board has scheduled a special meeting for Friday, with an executive session and “Status of Captain Jonathan Davis” the only items on the agenda.
Contact Bruce Rushton at brushton@illinoistimes.com.
This article appears in Apr 30 – May 6, 2015.
