Whye v. City Council of Topeka

The opinion of the court was delivered by

Beier, J.:

Plaintiff Roland Whye filed this lawsuit against the City of Topeka (the City) and former Topeka Mayor Joan Wagnon, claiming wrongful termination. The district court granted the defendants’ motion to dismiss on statute of limitations grounds. The Kansas Court of Appeals affirmed, although it differed from the district judge on the cause of action’s precise accrual date. We granted review.

The relevant facts are undisputed. Whye was a major with the Topeka Police Department. He had served for nearly 30 years and was third in command under Chief…