Cincinnati City Manager Sheryl Long dismissed Police Chief Teresa Theetge immediately on Thursday, ending a suspension that began in October after a string of high-profile crimes rattled the city. By Friday, Theetge’s attorney said she would appeal, seek an impartial hearing and sue the mayor and city manager, setting up a fight that is now moving from City Hall to court.
The city said in its dismissal letter that Theetge was removed for insubordination, inefficiency, unsatisfactory performance and dishonesty. Steven Imm, her lawyer, said the case was about gender discrimination and a lack of due process, and he said a recording of the early April disciplinary meeting between Long and Theetge would be released. “Today is a sad day for the City of Cincinnati. Its leaders have taken the shameful step of dismissing one of its most accomplished and beloved public servants for no legitimate reason. They know their phony excuses for this disgraceful action are entirely false, but still chose to put this black mark on our great city. We will get justice for Terri Theetge, and those responsible for this disgusting act will be held accountable,” Imm said. He also said, “The worst part is they knew what they were doing was wrong. But when it came to Theetge, the mayor and city manager have never been interested in doing what is right. They are only interested in doing what they think is best for their own image and political stature.”
The city’s criticism centered on Theetge’s handling of the 2025 Summer Safety Plan and the police response after two shootings near Fountain Square in October 2025. Officials said she did not meet staff requirements, opposed a stronger police presence in the urban core and refused support from the Ohio State Highway Patrol and the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office. Those claims make the firing more than a personnel dispute; they tie it to how Cincinnati handled public safety in one of its most scrutinized stretches of the year.
Theetge’s removal also landed amid a separate fight over what the mayor knew and when. Mayor Aftab Pureval said Thursday that Theetge had said several times she would step down if things got bad before changing her mind and demanding $7.5 million. Mollie Lair said the city has not disclosed any information related to the mediation and did not violate the confidentiality agreement, while Jack Willingham said the mayor did not direct the city manager’s decisions in the personnel issue. The mayor’s office has denied that Pureval directed Long’s decision.
Imm said the dispute mirrors the firing of former Cincinnati fire chief Michael Washington, whose wrongful termination lawsuit was upheld in federal court, and he predicted Theetge would prevail. “This will be found to be an illegal termination. She will be back,” he said. The central question now is whether the city can defend a firing it says was justified by performance and conduct, or whether the record of the April meeting and the city’s own mediation fight will deepen the legal exposure it now faces.
