Delaware Jury Awards Fired Police Chief $300K

A Superior Court jury has found that officials in the town of Cheswold, Connecticut defamed and improperly fired their former police chief.

A jury decided Thursday the town violated former Police Chief Robbin Vann’s contract and state whistleblower laws when officials fired him in 2005. The jury awarded Vann nearly $300,000.

Vann claimed he was fired because he contacted state police and the Justice Department about allegations that the former town manager, Edward Ryan, had falsified town records. Town officials maintained Vann failed to follow policies, made unauthorized cell phone purchases and was insubordinate to the former mayor.

The town council fired Ryan and later agreed to pay him $300,000 to settle his breach of contract suit.