A D.C. police lieutenant is back on the job after an administrative law judge reinstated him and slammed law enforcement authorities for firing the officer — because he had been fired.
Tim Haselden was forced to turn in his badge and gun and was facing termination after Attorney General Peter Nickles decided that previous wife-beating accusations against Haselden — true or not — had damaged the 18-year veteran’s credibility.
While fighting his firing, Haselden, 41, spent his days at the police academy, rearranging traffic cones for the police motorcycle course. He continued to draw his $100,000 annual salary.
In a decision dated just before Thanksgiving, city Administrative Law Judge Eric Robinson ruled that Nickles had tried to “circumvent” city law and Haselden’s rights.
“I further find that the employee was reinstated to a sham position by the agency,” Robinson wrote.
Nickles didn’t immediately respond Wednesday to requests for comment.
This is Haselden’s second time through the administrative law courts. In 2005, he was fired after two off-duty confrontations with his wife. Authorities claimed he was drunk and had attacked her. Robinson disagreed and ordered Haselden put back to work.
After media reports claimed cops who had been fired for misconduct were sneaking back on the job because of technicalities, Nickles moved to have Haselden and nearly two dozen others sacked again.
Haselden told The Examiner on Wednesday he was glad that Robinson “didn’t back down.” But he said he would probably have to sue in D.C. Superior Court to get Robinson’s order enforced.
“I’m sure they’re not going to abide by it,” Haselden said. “It is nice to have vindication, though.”
The other officers who were fired sued the city and were reinstated. After the media reports, they were re-fired. So they are suing again for tens of millions of dollars, claiming breach of settlements.
