BY KELLY COHEN | MAY 28, 2014 |
12:02 PM
The legal case of an ex-police
officer is costing taxpayers thousands. (Thinkstock)
The legal case of an ex-police
officer is costing taxpayers thousands — and the bill may be going up.
Renee Dubinski, a former police
officer for the Neenah Police Department in Wisconsin, was suspended and later fired
after the local police commission determined she violated department policy by
maintaining a relationship with a man who had a reputation for involvement in
criminal behavior, according to the Post-Crescent newspaper.
From April 2013 through March
2014, taxpayers were charged $184,000 for outside legal fees, salaries and
benefits in accordance with her case.
Between her suspension in
September 2012 until her firing in June 2013, Dubinski was paid almost $53,000
in wages and benefits.
The man she was involved with
was charged nine months after her firing with six felonies and two misdemeanors
for trafficking serious.
Dubinski also disobeyed a
confidentiality order and lied about three issues during an internal
investigation, according to the Post-Crescent review.
Dubinski, who also goes by her
maiden name, Renee Porter, has filed a civil rights lawsuit against the city,
claiming racial discrimination contributed to her firing.
She seeks $300,000 in
compensatory damages, as well as punitive damages.
The city's defense in the
federal case is expected to rack up even more expenses for taxpayers, the
Post-Crescent reports.