2 sergeants sue MSP, allege rigged promotions continue at Flint post

• Two new lawsuits allege ongoing irregularities in promotion on the MSP Flint submit, the place an examination dishonest scandal ended a number of careers.
• Sergeants Jeffrey Rodgers and Craig Winnie declare that they had been the one candidates to fulfill the deadline for the place of lieutenant, however the deadline was improperly prolonged to rent a well-liked candidate.

LANSING – Two Michigan State Police sergeants have sued the division, alleging promotions on the MSP’s Flint submit proceed to be improperly manipulated, even after an exam-cheating scandal ended a number of careers there.

Sergeants Jeffrey Rodgers and Craig Winnie on October 3 sued the MSP and the Flint submit commander on the time they requested for promotion, 1st Lt. Fahad Qureshi, within the Michigan Courtroom of Claims. The sergeants allege violations of their constitutional rights to due course of and to be free from authorities actions that “shock the conscience.” Every is searching for unspecified financial damages.

The MSP is going through a barrage of lawsuits over its promotion practices and personnel insurance policies, and each the union representing troopers and the union representing command officers have obtained overwhelming votes of no confidence within the MSP’s two high leaders, Col. James Grady and Lt. Col. Aimee Brimacombe.

In separate lawsuits, Rodgers and Winnie, each army veterans who say they obtained quite a few awards and accolades throughout their MSP careers, declare they had been the one two candidates to fulfill the Feb. 12, 2025 deadline to use for a vacant assistant commander place on the Flint submit, which might end in a promotion to lieutenant for the profitable candidate. Subsequently, the job ought to have gone to one in all them, the lawsuits allege.

However Qureshi made statements indicating that he had arbitrarily rejected their purposes after which prolonged the deadline so {that a} favored candidate, who had attended recruitment college with Qureshi, might apply, the lawsuits allege.

“Regardless of the Flint Submit promotion scandal and the general public consideration it attracted, the Michigan State Police continues to violate state officers’ necessities that promotions be primarily based on advantage, effectivity and suitability,” the lawsuits allege.

Shanon Banner, a spokeswoman for MSP and Grady, stated Oct. 17 that each one state departments are required to observe federal regulation and state civil service guidelines in hiring and promotions. Banner stated a criticism in regards to the 2025 appointment of Flint’s assistant submit commander was filed following an inner affairs investigation, however that “the continued violation didn’t name into query the choice course of or have an effect on its end result.” Banner didn’t instantly reply to a follow-up query asking whether or not any self-discipline resulted from the continuing investigation.

Qureshi, who Banner stated was promoted to inspector and moved to the Third District headquarters in August, didn’t reply to an Oct. 16 e-mail searching for remark.

Kevin Kelly, a Saginaw legal professional representing each sergeants, stated Oct. 16 that he finds it “fairly surprising that they would not have taken steps to forestall this” after the Flint scandal. “It is favoritism,” he stated. “Issues like this have been taking place for many years, however they’re getting caught extra typically now.”

Qureshi changed former 1st Lt. Yvonne Brantley as Flint submit commander in 2024. Brantley retired to keep away from being fired after an investigation discovered she offered favored candidates with advance copies of promotional examination questions, in a scandal that started earlier than Gov. Gretchen Whitmer appointed Grady as MSP director in September 2023.

Seven MSP promotions between 2019 and 2023 had been tainted as a result of profitable candidates got the examination questions prematurely, the Detroit Free Press reviews obtained in 2024 below the Michigan Freedom of Data Act present.

Along with Brantley’s compelled retirement, a Flint assistant submit commander was fired, one other retired to keep away from self-discipline, and an assistant commander at one other submit was demoted to trooper. Two sergeants and one trooper had been additionally dismissed, demoted or resigned.

The lawsuits allege Qureshi created a false pretext to increase the appliance deadline to nominate Lt. Donald Pisha, who had not utilized for the job earlier than the unique deadline. In keeping with the lawsuit, Pisha attended the identical recruit college as Qureshi and Lt. Ty Purdy, an assistant submit commander at Flint.

A soldier heard Qureshi say it could be exceptional if he, Purdy and Pisha ran the Flint submit collectively after “all of us sat subsequent to one another at recruit college,” based on the lawsuit.

Pisha and Purdy didn’t reply to emails searching for touch upon October 16.

Rodgers joined the MSP in 2008 after being honorably discharged from the U.S. Marines, based on the lawsuit. He was promoted to detective sergeant in 2020 and his MSP document features a Quotation for Bravery, two Life Saving Awards and a number of awards for skilled excellence, the lawsuit stated. Whereas working at MSP, he earned an affiliate diploma in prison justice and accomplished management coaching, the indictment alleges.

In keeping with the lawsuit, Winnie joined the MSP in 2010 after being honorably discharged from the U.S. Air Power. He was promoted to sergeant in 2021 and his MSP document features a Life Saving Award, two Third District Commendation Awards and a 2017 Samuel A. Mapes Award, given to troopers who’re proactive in freeway patrol and prison investigations, the lawsuit stated.

On October 15, the Detroit Free Press reported that the MSP’s former Chief Variety Officer Sarah Krebs sued the MSP and Grady in federal court docket on October 14, alleging that Grady and different high officers subjected her to retaliation and harassment when she opposed hiring insurance policies she seen as illegal.

This story has been up to date so as to add new data.

Contact Paul Egan: 517-372-8660 or pegan@freepress.com.