Former Elsmere police chief says he was fired after exposing misconduct

The former Elsmere police chief is suing the city and mayor for wrongful termination, claiming he was fired after discovering one of his sergeants was spending “a significant amount of her time” at the mayor's home and office.

Joseph Maier filed the lawsuit Monday in Kenton County District Court, demanding reinstatement as chief and money to make up for lost income.

Maier was hired in July 2020 and fired in August 2023 by Mayor Marty Lenhof after allegations that Maier was “insubordinate” and that the department had a “hostile work environment” under his leadership.

City officials said Maier was fired as chief because he repeatedly disregarded Lenhof's orders despite being told to report directly to the mayor and because he “failed to communicate with the mayor despite instructions.”

An Elsmere police officer also was “not treated appropriately by a supervisor,” which officials said could lead to a lawsuit against the city. Officials said Maier launched an investigation into the officer without consulting Lenhof.

In the lawsuit, Maier argues that his firing came the same day he told one of his sergeants that she was under investigation and would face disciplinary action. The Enquirer is not naming the sergeant because she is not charged with a crime and is not a party to the lawsuit.

According to court documents, Maier found that the sergeant had inappropriate contact with a man who had a criminal record for “initiating sexually explicit conversations online with a person he believed to be a 15-year-old girl.”

Maier said a search of the man's phone revealed that his sergeant had communicated with him while on duty and sent him explicit photos of herself.

The sergeant's patrol car is equipped with a device that records his location, and using that technology, Maier was able to confirm that she had also visited the man, according to the lawsuit.

“While checking the location of (the sergeant's) patrol car, Maier discovered that (she) also spent a significant amount of time at Lenhof's private residence and office while on duty,” the lawsuit states.

Maier said he tried to discuss the matter with Lenhof for months before telling the sergeant she might face disciplinary action, but the mayor never responded.

On the day he began the disciplinary proceedings, he was called into Lenhof's office and told that he could resign with severance pay or be fired.

The Enquirer reached out to the city of Elsmere for comment and learned that the city manager had recently resigned from his post. At the time of this report, Lenhof had not responded to a message left through the city.

The case has been assigned to Judge Kathy Lape. A hearing in the case has not yet been scheduled.

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