Lawsuits accuse Orland Park police officials of retaliatory firing, civil rights violations

Two former Orland Park police officers have filed separate lawsuits against the village and police department leaders, accusing them of wrongful termination and civil rights violations.

The two lawsuits name several police officers and other village officials as defendants, but Chief of Police Eric Rossi and former Deputy Chief Brian West are named in both cases. West is currently the interim assistant village manager, according to the Orland Park staff directory,

In one case, a former officer alleges he was fired in retaliation for complaining about being denied a promotion because he’s Hispanic. He also claims department leadership has “displayed troubling attitudes” toward race.

William Sanchez, who served in the department for nearly 20 years before being fired in March of 2024, filed his lawsuit last week. His case also names former village manager George Koczwara as a defendant.

In May 2023, Sanchez, who is Mexican American, met with Rossi to share his belief that the village — and in particular West — was denying Sanchez a promotion to lieutenant because Sanchez is Hispanic, the suit alleges.

Sanchez believed he was being discriminated against in part because when he took on the role of supervisor of the traffic safety unit at the rank of sergeant, Rossi told Sanchez that he would next be promoted to lieutenant after another officer retired, the suit states. But nine months after the retirement Sanchez had still not been promoted.

In addition, five previous traffic safety unit supervisors, all of whom were Caucasian, had either started that position at the rank of lieutenants or were later promoted, the suit states. Sanchez also believed that he was being asked to do more work at lower pay and lower rank than prior unit supervisors.

Sanchez couldn't find "legitimate justification" for his being treated differently because he consistently performed well in his role and had no significant history of discipline or misconduct, the suit states.

Leadership's "troubling attitudes toward race" in the past also made Sanchez believe he was being discriminated against, according to the suit.

One white officer who had been photographed wearing black face and recorded making “racially charged” remarks toward a Black suspect had been promoted twice, according to the suit. Another white officer had been hired despite a background check that revealed he had made comments about lynching a Black suspect.

Rossi told Sanchez that if he felt he was being discriminated against he should file formal complaints. Sanchez then filed complaints with the village, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Illinois Department of Human Rights.

West eventually filed his own complaint with the village, alleging that Sanchez had created a “hostile work environment” by making claims of discrimination against him.

A third-party investigation that followed “was a sham, its outcome predetermined,” Sanchez's suit alleges. The resulting report issued in December 2023 deemed Sanchez’s allegations of discrimination unfounded while sustaining West’s allegations.

The next month, Sanchez was informed that the village was considering firing him for misconduct. The “misconduct” officials cited was filing complaints, which is “indisputably protected activity,” the suit states.

After Sanchez was fired he filed a grievance with his union, the Orland Park Supervisors Association, to challenge the termination and demand arbitration.

In January the arbitrator found that Sanchez “was not discharged for just cause” and ordered the village to reinstate him, according to the lawsuit. The village disagreed with the findings and filed a motion in Cook County circuit court.

Sanchez’s lawsuit seeks reinstatement, back pay and unspecified damages.

A second lawsuit

Rossi, West and the village are also named as defendants in another lawsuit accusing them of violating the constitutional rights of a retired police sergeant who created a Facebook page parodying West.

Kenneth Kovac created the page, named “Brian East,” in January 2024 because he was concerned “about abuses of power” within the police department, according to the suit.

The page “jokingly” portrayed West as a “simplistic and overly enthusiastic supporter” of Mayor Keith Pekau, posting comments such as “Keith is the best!” West was still the deputy chief at the time.

“None of the comments were in any way threatening,” according to the suit.

But West was angered by the parody and asked Rossi if he could begin an investigation into the page, requesting it be fast-tracked. Rossi granted West permission, the suit states.

Investigators submitted search warrant applications that contained “omissions and misrepresentations” to get them approved by a judge in order to analyze Kovac’s personal communications, the suit states. The applications did not acknowledge that the Facebook page was a parody.

Kovac ended up being charged with false personation and disorderly conduct and turned himself into police. Those charges were dismissed “for failure to state an offense,” according to the suit.

“At the time of [Kovac’s] arrest, it was well established that the First Amendment protects speech parodying public officials,” the suit states, alleging they violated Kovac’s rights to free speech and unreasonable search and seizure.

In a statement, the village said it cannot discuss specifics on ongoing litigation but it "stands by its actions and those of its employees and remains confident that they were appropriate and fully compliant with the law."