CINCINNATI — Ousted Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Theetge is appealing her dismissal and filing a lawsuit against the city, its mayor, and its city manager.
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Theetge was fired by the city manager on Thursday.
She had been on leave since October 2025 after a third-party firm investigated her leadership.
In its report, the firm called Theetge an “ineffective leader,” our news partners at WCPO reported.
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Theetge’s attorney, Stephen Imm, said they will be appealing the decision and asking for an impartial arbiter to decide Theetge’s fate, as well as filing a lawsuit against Mayor Aftab Pureval, City Manager Sheryl Long, and the city for violation of her constitutional rights — calling Thursday’s announcement “only the beginning,” WCPO reported.
“If they are going to insist as they manifestly are ... on kicking her to curb and ruining her reputation and labeling her service to this city as chief as failure ... then yes, they are going to have to pay for those disgraceful acts, and yes, they are going to have to compensate Terri for the terrible harm they have done to this outstanding woman, this outstanding public servant,” Imm said.
She had been with the department for more than 35 years.
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