Meridian City Hall 

The Meridian Civil Service Commission has set an appeal hearing for 4 p.m. on Sept. 1 for former Meridian Police Lt. Rita Jack.

Jack is appealing her termination by the city. 

Her attorney, Joseph Denson, announced last week that she had been fired for misusing software that is “integral to her job.” 

Jack, who has served the police department for more than 22 years, had expressed interest in leading the department.

At a June commission meeting, members voted to open an investigation requested by Jack involving the promotions of two officers.

Denson claimed the city discriminated against Jack on the basis of gender.

Meridian City Attorney Kermit Kendrick has said that the city maintains there was no discrimination against Jack.

Denson said Jack applied for the position of assistant chief last September and both former Interim Chief Lewis Robbins and former Interim Chief Charles Coleman implied that they would recommend her for the position.

In May, according to Denson, Jack learned the assistant chief position was being eliminated – a process he said must be approved by the commission.

In a commission report which Denson shared with The Meridian Star Tuesday night, Commission Attorney Stephen Wilson wrote that he spoke with Kendrick, Chief Administrative Officer Eddie Kelly and Mayor Percy Bland about Coleman’s failure to fill the assistant chief position. 

“All three of them advised that Chief Coleman did not have authority as an interim police chief to make this hire, and that he had been instructed not to do so, instead waiting for the permanent chief to fill the position,” Wilson wrote.  

Included in the commission’s report is a statement from Coleman saying he did not fill the assistant chief position because “during my time as interim chief, I did not have time to assess who I wanted to be my assistant Chief.” 

Coleman announced he was resigning from the department in July. 

Wilson wrote in the report, “…while there may well be some indications that internal interpersonal politics may have been in play, the Commission did not find any evidence of gender or racial discrimination in the circumstances surrounding the Assistant Chief position.” 

The Meridian Star left a message for Denson seeking comment on the commission’s report. 

Kendrick declined to comment on the report.