City of Waco v. Kelley

Under the City of Waco’s civil service system, a police officer may appeal involuntary discipline to either the Civil Service Commission or a third party hearing examiner. In this case, an assistant chief was disciplined by being indefinitely suspended, which is the equivalent of being dismissed from the department. A hearing examiner found that the charges against him were true but determined that the discipline was excessive. The hearing examiner reduced the suspension to 180 days, reinstated the assistant chief to the police force at a reduced rank, and ordered that he be made whole as to…