Former Montgomery Police Chief Suing City, Mayor Steven Reed

Former Montgomery Police Chief Ernest Finley – Photo from WAKA 8

Former Montgomery Police Chief Ernest Finley is suing the city and Mayor Steven Reed.

His federal lawsuit claims they engaged in illegal employment practices and broke federal and state law.

Finley was hired as police chief in 2015, when Todd Strange was mayor. He says current mayor Steven Reed and others forced him to resign in 2021 after making false complaints against him, including bullying, retaliation, race-based decision making and ethics violations.

In his 8-count lawsuit, Finley says the city and mayor wanted him gone because he enforced civil rights laws and hired, promoted and disciplined officers equally.

He says Reed wanted Black officers promoted and given better conditions because of their race.

Finley says he was forced to resign because he disciplined Black police officers and promoted a white police officer. He says he and the department’s deputy chief of operations were cleared of all wrongdoing by the attorney general’s office.

Finley is seeking to be reinstated to his job, with back pay, compensatory and punitive damages.

WAKA 8 contacted the city for reaction. We were told, “The City does not comment on pending litigation.”

READ: Ernest Finley’s Lawsuit Against City of Montgomery, Mayor Steven Reed