GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Legal action has been initiated against the City of White Cloud by the former police chief, Daniel Evans, who alleges wrongful termination and multiple breaches of state and constitutionally ensured rights. Daniel Evans, who served as the community’s police chief for eight years until his dismissal in October 2024, claims that his firing violated due process under the U.S. Constitution and Michigan’s Whistleblower Protection Act.
The case, filed on Friday by his attorney Katherine Smith Kennedy, also accuses the City Manager, April Storms, of defamation and other improprieties in her managerial conduct. According to the lawsuit, these disputes began to surface after Evans raised concerns about public safety hazards within the city, particularly regarding inadequate fencing around crucial infrastructure like the city’s water pump and dam.
Smith Kennedy outlines in the legal documents that despite Evans’s consistent efforts to address these concerns since 2006 in various capacities, his proactive approach brought conflict with other city officials. The attorney points out a pivotal moment in August 2024 when Evans met with Storms and the Department of Public Works to discuss the inadequate fencing, only to be met with resistance and subsequent disciplinary actions.
Documentation provided within the lawsuit suggests that following his formal reporting of the safety issues in late September, Evans was abruptly fired on October 1. Evans had alerted that if improvements were not made, he would report the issues to state agencies, a move he believed necessary to protect community welfare.
In a twist that complicates the narrative of his dismissal, Evans’s performance reviews, including one conducted earlier in 2024 by Storms herself, rated him as “Superior.” Yet, discrepancies arose during summer of the same year when Evans was reprimanded in what he asserts were baseless disciplinary actions over alleged incidents. These actions, the lawsuit asserts, deviated from past administrative practices and were perceived as retaliatory.
Further complicating the matter is a termination letter penned by Storms on October 9, described in the lawsuit as defamatory. The contents of this letter, which were sent to both the City Council and the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards, have been challenged by Kennedy for not having been previously discussed with Evans.
Responding to these allegations, April Storms asserted her inability to comment on proceedings due to ongoing legal restraints, though she expressed confidence in the legitimacy of her decisions and the forthcoming legal processes to validate her actions.
Documents that could shed light on these events, including Evans’s annual evaluations and correspondences regarding his disciplinary history from summer 2024, are currently sought by a freedom of information request.
The lawsuit aims to not only reinstate Evans but also to secure a formal apology and compensation for lost wages and legal expenses incurred during the process.
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