A judge has refused to dismiss a wrongful-termination lawsuit filed by the city's former police chief against Syracuse, the mayor and city administrator.
Bruce Johnson resigned from the chief's position last October amid controversy that included the arrest of one of his officers for peeping into a woman's window. Johnson claims he was pressured to quit by Mayor Michael Garrett and City Administrator J. Michael Moyes.The former chief headed the four-member department for 10 months, when according to the suit filed in February, "defendants required Johnson to be terminated or forced to resign."
Johnson is seeking to be reinstated.
In April, lawyers representing Syracuse filed a petition asking the court to dismiss the case, claiming Johnson violated the Utah Governmental Immunity Act primarily by failing to file with the city a notice of intent to file a lawsuit, and not posting a bond.
Second District Judge Rodney S. Page on Tuesday denied the petition, and ruled that the provisions of the Utah Governmental Immunity Act do not apply in this case. He gave Syracuse 20 days to file a response to the lawsuit.
Johnson's lawyer, Reid Tateoka, said he filed an amended complaint with the court asking for punitive damages only from Garrett and Moyes in an amount to equal not less than two years' wages and benefits.
Moyes declined to discuss the lawsuit.
Johnson, who was present at the hearing, also declined to comment. His attorney said Johnson is bound by an agreement he signed with the city when he resigned in which both sides promised not to discuss the terms and conditions of the resignation with news reporters.