Council mum on former chief
Residents come with many questions but get no answers
RANDALL -- Despite a full audience hoping for answers, the Randall City Council Wednesday declined to speak about the status of or reinstate former Police Chief Gary DeZurik.
Mayor Pat Boone told those who had gathered for the meeting at the Randall Fire Hall that the council had met with its League of Minnesota Cities attorney for about an hour and-a-half Wednesday afternoon and all questions regarding DeZurik should be directed to the attorney.
"As far as any other statements, we can't make them," Boone said. "Our hands are tied and we can't answer questions."
DeZurik, who served as Randall's police chief for 11 years, was fired at a Nov. 29 special city council meeting. Despite protests from several community members at a Dec. 8 council meeting, a motion to reinstate DeZurik failed because it didn't receive a second.
Bill Davis, Randall, attended Wednesday's meeting with the hope that at the very least he would find out why DeZurik, who he says is supported by about 90 percent of Randall residents, was fired.
"There's never been an answer. We ask them and we ask them (the city council) and now we're down to the point where lawyers are involved," Davis said. "It's just ridiculous and we're not going to go away."
During the meeting, Davis suggested if the city needs to hire an attorney to defend itself against a lawsuit in the matter, the former mayor and three current council members who voted to fire DeZurik should have to pay the bill.
DeZurik has not filed a lawsuit against the city. His attorney, Red Wing-based William Mavity, in December sent a notice of claim to the city outlining what he believes to be DeZurik's legal claims and asking for his reinstatement as police chief.
Mavity said his primary points in the claim are that DeZurik was denied due process when he wasn't given notice of his termination or allowed to respond to the reasons for his termination; and that former Mayor Gary Dannon engineered his termination after DeZurik placed a campaign sign in his yard for Dannon's mayoral opponent in the November election, Pat Boone. That, Mavity said, was a violation of the First Amendment.
"The Constitution permits even government employees to have the freedom of political expression and that's the right that was violated," Mavity said.
If the Randall City Council doesn't reinstate DeZurik as police chief, Mavity said he would file a lawsuit against the city. He also said defamation claims could be filed based on allegations made against DeZurik at the Dec. 8 city council meeting.
Since being fired by the city of Randall, DeZurik has been working as a part-time police officer for the cities of Royalton and Little Falls. The city of Randall has recently hired a part-time police officer.
MATT ERICKSON can be reached at matt.erickson@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5857.