Chula Vista police chief sues city, alleges retaliation and defamation

Chula Vista Police Chief Roxana Kennedy has filed a lawsuit against the city, accusing several city leaders of defamation, harassment and retaliation following an incident at a police union holiday party last year.

The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in State Superior Court, names City Manager Tiffany Allen and Chula Vista City Council members Michael Inzunza, Cesar Fernandez, Carolina Chavez and Jose Preciado. Mayor John McCann is not named in the suit.

Kennedy, who has served with the Chula Vista Police Department for 33 years and has been chief since 2016, is currently on medical leave. Assistant Police Chief Dan Peak is overseeing the department during her absence.

According to Kennedy’s attorney Cory Briggs, the issues began during a Chula Vista Police Officers Association holiday party in December. Briggs told NBC 7 in February that two off-duty officers participated in a dance contest to win a television, and one officer removed his shirt.

“The chief went up, and she had two $1 bills, and she put one in each of his front pockets,” Briggs said. “Didn’t touch him otherwise.”

Briggs said the incident led to retaliation against Kennedy.

“That’s when the city manager falsely stated that people were complaining that the chief’s conduct put the city in a bad light,” Briggs said.

The lawsuit alleges city leadership made Kennedy’s job “miserable” and launched a retaliatory investigation against her.

In a statement released to NBC 7, a city spokesperson said, “The City of Chula Vista categorically denies the allegations and will vigorously defend against them in court. The city is confident the truth will show that no wrongdoing occurred.”

Deputy Mayor Cesar Fernandez, who is named in the lawsuit, also denied wrongdoing in a text message to NBC 7.

“I was surprised to see these allegations because I believed Chief Kennedy enjoyed her job and was leading a police department our residents trust,” Fernandez said. “The city has far more important issues to work on than changing leadership in a department that works well for residents.”

“The claims against me are broad, unsupported and bogus,” Fernandez said. “The complaint throws around serious accusations without presenting facts that show I did anything wrong. I believe this lawsuit is a waste of time and public resources.”

Fernandez also addressed allegations involving race.

“What also concerns me is how casually race-based accusations are being made against me with little concern for the damage they cause,” Fernandez said. “There is a real person on the other end of these claims. I participated in no such wrongdoing, and I believe the evidence, or lack of it, will prove that.”

“When this is over, I hope people ask themselves whether they will have the integrity to apologize to those they falsely accused,” Fernandez said. “Because this matter is in litigation, I will be careful about commenting further, but I am confident the facts will speak for themselves.”

Kennedy has not publicly commented since going on leave. However, several supporters have spoken on her behalf during recent Chula Vista City Council meetings, including San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan.

“I come before you today to express my gratitude for the long service of Chief Roxana Kennedy,” Stephan said during a council meeting on April 21.

This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC San Diego. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC San Diego journalist edited the article for publication.