Whistleblowers outline allegations of nepotism and retaliation within Albuquerque’s police academy

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Several members of the Albuquerque Police Academy training staff who were fired from their positions last summer filed a lawsuit Wednesday detailing allegations of nepotism and retaliation by leadership within the force.

The whistleblower complaint concerns the requirement that male cadets shave their heads with a razor every day. One cadet – the son of a police captain – was found to have violated policy and was initially unfair to training staff when asked if he continued the practice.

The cadet was dismissed from the academy last August following an internal investigation, but the decision was reversed within 24 hours, according to the lawsuit. The plaintiffs inferred that the commander had intervened on his son’s behalf and that they had been dismissed from the academy and reassigned to other field positions for reporting the violation.

In a letter to Police Chief Harold Medina, prosecutors described abuse of authority and suggested the commander’s intervention was inappropriate and nepotistic.

“We have done nothing wrong,” they state in the letter, which was submitted as part of the complaint. “We acted to report ethical violations and to protect the public interest of ethically trained law enforcement officers, and we should not face retaliation for this.”

It wasn’t until a month later that the department responded with a message saying an internal investigation would be conducted and that it would include the possible hazing of a cadet. According to the lawsuit, it was the academy commander who instructed training staff to reintroduce “old school” policies and a more “military” style of training at the academy.

Gilbert Gallegos, a spokesman for the Albuquerque Police Department, told The Associated Press that the city takes the hazing allegations very seriously.

“These allegations, as well as the allegations in this lawsuit, will be addressed in court,” he said.

It is unclear whether the shaving policy is still part of the cadet handbook.

The beleaguered police department has been grappling with other recent internal investigations, including the mishandling of DWI cases by some officers over a period of years and a traffic accident involving the police chief that seriously injured another driver.

The seven plaintiffs who filed the whistleblower complaint made up the academy’s entire training staff and had more than 100 years of combined experience, according to their attorney Levi Monagle. They are seeking damages for lost wages, emotional distress and damage to their reputation.

The lawsuit stated that the findings of the internal investigation that followed the cadet’s reinstatement have yet to be shared with the plaintiffs. It was completed by a third party in December. Although prosecutors believe no evidence of hazing was found, they were issued citations for “unspecified violations” of city policy.

Training staff had said they had received no explanation for their removal from the academy, nor an explanation for their reinstatement. They stated that removing officers from positions for which they apply and are tested – without explanation, notice or opportunity to be heard – is “highly unusual” and a violation of the police collective bargaining agreement.