Two former Wichita Police Department deputy chiefs and one current deputy chief are suing the city manager and other officials.
A complaint was filed Monday by former deputy chiefs Wanda Givens and Chester Pinkston and current Deputy Chief Jose Salcido. It names Wichita City Manager Robert Layton, the former city human resources director, the Wichita police union and others.
In the lawsuit, the deputy chiefs claim there is an inappropriate relationship between the city manager, police union and now-former human resources director that covered up several police and internal investigations. The lawsuit lists 12 counts and seeks damages in excess of 75-thousand dollars for each count. The deputy chiefs also claim that they were made “scapegoats” in a 2022 investigation into racist and sexist text messages sent by some police officers.
A report from an internal committee says 12 Wichita police officers were not properly disciplined over questionable text messages and images they shared with each other. The report also recommends more extensive training for deputy chiefs on investigations and discipline and issues relating to bias and diversity. The city hired a consultant to take a deeper look into the police department and make recommendations for moving forward, and the consultant’s report is expected soon.
