A former U police officer has filed a lawsuit against the university, alleging he was unlawfully discharged from his position.
Samuel Beene worked as a police officer in the U Police Department from June 1998 to September 2000, and a U Hospital security officer for more than two years prior to that.
He said the U fired him as “direct retaliation” for complaints his wife, Karen Beene, a dispatch supervisor for the UUPD, made about then-Chief Bob Wilson’s romantic involvement with one of her dispatchers.
The romance destroyed any kind of chain of command, as the dispatcher no longer needed to obey what Karen Beene said, and created “a hostile environment” for her, Samuel Beene said.
Karen Beene eventually filed a grievance with the office of Equal Opportunity and Employee Relations?Samuel Beene was fired the same day, Sept. 28, 2000, he said.
Samuel Beene went through the standard U grievance process, but met with no success. He filed his lawsuit Friday, demanding his job back and back pay for the last year and a half.
Samuel Beene said he’s applied to work at other police departments, and the UUPD is blocking his efforts.
In June 2001, Wilson went to work for a university police department in Texas last June, at which time Ben Lemmon replaced him as chief. Lemmon was a lieutenant in the department when Samuel Beene was fired.
“Bob Wilson ended up being terminated as a result of my second grievance,” Samuel Beene said. “[But] it was announced as a retirement.”
Samuel Beene said Lemmon is part of the administration that terminated him, and does not expect any cooperation from Lemmon, but he hopes for it.
“He won’t talk to me except through [lawyers],” Samuel Beene said.
U public relations officials have directed Lemmon not to comment on the subject, as is standard with legal action.
“I think the university feels like there was good cause” to terminate Samuel Beene, said U spokeswoman Coralie Alder. “My understanding is it was appropriate action to take.”
UUPD officials have tried to fire Karen Beene, her husband said, but haven’t. “She is very good at covering her tail.”
Based on their attorney’s advice, Karen Beene is not speaking to the media.