Get caught up now:
- City Manager Sheryl Long fired Teresa Theetge Thursday, April 23, citing "insubordination, inefficiency, and unsatisfactory performance"
- Theetge requested $7.5 million when she was asked to resign in October
- Interim Chief Adam Hennie will continue to lead the Cincinnati Police Department for now
- Theetge and her attorney have scheduled a press conference for Friday afternoon
Full story:
Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Theetge is out. City Manager Sheryl Long announced the firing Thursday, citing "insubordination, inefficiency, and unsatisfactory performance."
Long says the decision was based on findings of an independent investigation into Theetge's leadership. Theetge was placed on paid leave in October pending the investigation.
“I want to begin by acknowledging Chief Theetge’s more than 35 years of service to the Cincinnati Police Department and to the city,” Long said in a press conference Thursday morning. “At the same time, after completing this review, I concluded that a change in leadership is necessary for the department moving forward.”
Long says the department is “stable and fully operational” under Interim Chief Adam Hennie, who took that position in October.
Theetge's attorney, Stephen Imm of Finney Law Firm, said in a statement this is "a sad day" for Cincinnati.
"Its leaders have taken the shameful step of dismissing one of its most accomplished and beloved public servants for no legitimate reason," Imm said. "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."
In March, Imm said Theetge would sue the city if it took "adverse action" toward her.
Imm has scheduled a press availability for Friday afternoon.
FOP President Ken Kober denounced the decision in a statement.
“This is the latest example of a poor decision made by the city manager that is likely going to cost the taxpayers millions," Kober said. "I look forward to seeing Chief Theetge fight this unjust termination.”
Theetge demanded $7.5 million to resign
WVXU reported Oct. 15 that Long asked Theetge to resign. Theetge's termination letter reveals Long first asked for Theetge to step down a few days earlier, after an early evening shooting on Fountain Square on Oct. 13.
“Chief Theetge and I had a conversation before any of this happened, where she asked me to provide her the professional courtesy to step down if there was ever a time in which I did not want her to be chief … so that she could walk away with her head held high," Long said Thursday morning. "I provided her that professional courtesy — Chief Theetge changed her mind.”
Theetge's attorney then demanded $7.5 million from the city in exchange for Theetge's resignation; a spokesperson for Long confirmed the demand to WVXU, saying it was made verbally to a city attorney.
The city refused the demand and Long placed Theetge on paid leave Oct. 20.
Mayor Aftab Pureval told reporters Thursday afternoon that the administration has been open to settling with Theetge.
"I'm disappointed that we're here today, but with an initial demand of $7.5 million, that's a non-starter," Pureval said. "Part of the reason this due process took so long was because we wanted to make sure that it was intentional, that it was fair, and that we had time to try to negotiate some kind of a settlement. But unfortunately, that didn't come to pass, and the city manager was forced to make a decision."
Why Long 'lost confidence and trust'
Long was careful to emphasize that it was her decision alone — responding to accusations that Mayor Aftab Pureval pressured her into placing Theetge on leave for political reasons, less than a month before the mayoral election last year.
“This decision was made by me, under my authority as city manager under the Cincinnati city charter,” she said.
Long says the decision was difficult for her.
“This decision is not about whether crime remains a challenge in our city,” she said. “The decision was based on findings of an internal review and whether leadership met the expectations required for the position.”
Long notified Theetge of the termination in an eight-page letter dated April 23, released to WVXU after a public records request. The letter was released after Long's brief press conference.
The letter outlines Long's version of the timeline and her specific reasons for terminating Theetge.
“Throughout this time, you demonstrated an unwillingness or inability to maintain alignment with the City’s public safety priorities and objectives, collaborate with City departments and City partners, communicate effectively, and be an effective leader of the Police Department,” Long writes.
The letter references “multiple violent events” in the summer and fall of 2025 that became “public spectacles without clear response, direction or good judgement” from Theetge.
Long says she lost confidence and trust in Theetge in October and gave her “the opportunity to step down.” The letter says Theetge initially agreed and initiated the process, then changed her mind.
Long then placed Theetge on paid leave and hired FBT Gibbons (formerly Frost Brown Todd) to conduct an investigation; Long says the investigation confirmed her concerns.
Theetge was notified on March 31 of a pre-disciplinary hearing with Long; that meeting took place on April 10, but the termination letter says it was rescheduled twice “to accommodate [Theetge’s] travel to Florida.”
Theetge was invited to present oral or written information in response to the city manager’s concerns; the termination letter states Theetge did not present any witnesses or bring any documents or records.
See the full termination letter below [article continues after]:
The letter describes, in detail, Long's specific reasons for firing Theetge.
Opposing the 'Summer Safety Plan' in 2025
Long writes that Theetge admitted to facts during the pre-disciplinary hearing that establish “insubordination, inefficiency, and unsatisfactory performance.” That includes not agreeing with the city’s summer safety plan and not filling police work details despite Long “begging” her to do so.
“It was clear that you were not interested in anyone telling you what to do,” Long wrote to Theetge, later adding that Theetge failed to suggest any changes or improvements to the plan.
Theetge allegedly claimed during the pre-disciplinary hearing that she was “never told to follow the summer plan.”
Long then quotes an email she claims she sent to Theetge on August 12, 2025: “I am getting feedback that the details and summer plan we committed to are not being fulfilled as promised. Chief, if we say we are going to do something, we must follow-through. Failing to do so undermines our credibility and trust of our partners who are advocating on our behalf. 1st –I need confirmation that ALL details related to the summer plan we committed to are being filled. ALL of the parks must be filled as promised as well…”
Failure to 'effectively lead' after Fountain Square shootings
Long says Theetge failed to provide leadership in response to two shootings on or near Fountain Square in October.
Long says she sent Theetge a text message begging her to fill patrol details for Fountain Square. It’s not clear when that text was sent, but it was apparently sometime before the shootings on Oct. 7 and Oct. 13.
The letter says that on Oct. 14, Theetge chose to attend a play rather than attend a public safety town hall meeting, sending an assistant chief in her place. Theetge allegedly did not adequately prepare that assistant chief to answer questions at that town hall.
Notably, this happened the day after Long says she first asked Theetge to resign, and Theetge allegedly agreed to do so.
Long says she instructed Theetge not to travel to Denver for a conference, but Theetge left anyway on Oct. 15. Theetge apparently disputes that Long told her not to travel to Denver.
Ignoring feedback, failure to take responsibility
Long says Theetge fails to take responsibility or accountability for her own failings, “demonstrated by your incredulous claim that you had never been told of any dissatisfaction with your work.”
Long says she communicated dissatisfaction verbally and in writing, and says the 2024 cultural assessment included negative feedback from members of CPD, including “issues in communication, favoritism, and unfair discipline.”
Long says Theetge admitted to attending a CPS school board meeting in Sept. 2024 without notifying the city manager or other city officials; Theetge harshly criticized the board and the board later asked Theetge not to attend any more meetings.
“When I confronted you about this in the immediate aftermath, you said that you knew the City would not agree with your approach and that you decided that you would just ask for forgiveness after the fact,” the termination letter says. “You damaged this relationship. This exemplifies your poor judgement, failure to collaborate, and failure of leadership.”
Investigation
As WVXU previously reported, an investigation released last month into Theetge's leadership concluded she hadn't been an effective leader.
The report describes Theetge's leadership as "rigid and authoritarian," criticizes her communication within the department and with City Hall officials, and says Theetge struggles to accept accountability.
The law firm that conducted the investigation interviewed Theetge and 32 witnesses, who are not named.
"The vast majority of all witnesses believe it would not be in the best interest of the CPD for Chief Theetge to return as Chief," the report says.
At that time, Theetge’s attorney, Stephen Imm of Finney Law Firm, rejected the report's conclusions, stating its "outrageous allegations" would be "exposed, without exception, as entirely false. There is not a shred of credible evidence to support the city’s actions against her."
You can read more about the report here.
Long declined to answer several questions about the investigation.
“Because this is a personnel matter and potential litigation may follow, there are limits to what I can say,” she said.
Response from elected officials
Over the past six months, Mayor Pureval and the nine members of City Council have mostly deflected questions about Theetge's suspension and the investigation, citing the city charter-defined process that gives the city manager control over hiring and firing the police chief.
Pureval spoke more candidly to reporters Thursday afternoon, saying he fully supports Long's decision.
"Right from the beginning, this has been a thorough, intentional process and that process — both the investigation [and] the hearing — resulted in information showing former Chief Theetge was not collaborative, was not proactive and did not, unfortunately, put in place the procedures and strategies in order to be an effective leader."
WVXU requested comment from all nine City Council members.
"I appreciate Teresa Theetge’s decades of service to Cincinnati and recognize the difficulty of this moment for the department and our community," said Council member Ryan James in a statement. "Accountability and public trust must remain at the center of our public safety institutions. I respect the review process that led to this decision and am focused on supporting a smooth transition and strong leadership moving forward."
"...We are entering a new chapter for our city, one where meaningful progress is driven by transparency, accountability, and decisive action," Council member Meeka Owens wrote in her statement. "As we approach the start of summer, I am confident that Manager Long and Interim Chief Hennie will work in lockstep to ensure strong, transparent, and accountable public safety for all 52 of our neighborhoods.”
"While I respect and am grateful for former Chief Theetge’s 35 years of service, it’s clear to me that new leadership was needed to ensure CPD can meet the community’s needs and expectations," said Anna Albi in statement. "Throughout this process, I have been shocked by the many and repeated instances coming to light through the investigation and the City Manager’s letter where former Chief Theetge failed to enact the summer safety plan and put up roadblocks that prevented collaboration ... I will forever be grateful for Teresa Theetge’s time with the City and hope this will not be a blemish on her legacy of service."
"We are obviously in litigation. At this juncture, it is council’s job to mitigate the liability of the city," said Jeff Cramerding in a statement. "The proposed severance amount is significant and could cause unacceptable reductions in city services or other cuts. I will continue to work enthusiastically with interim-Chief Hennie to make Cincinnati the safest city possible."
"Former Chief Theetge had the opportunity to gracefully step aside. Instead, she asked for $7.5 million, which is unreasonable. I am hopeful that we can agree on a sensible resolution to this matter," said Mark Jeffreys in a statement. "My focus is on keeping our city safe now and in the future. I am fully confident in Interim Chief Hennie and his leadership. He already has tripled the number of officers on walking patrols and doubled the traffic enforcement initiatives. That is the kind of leadership we should all expect of a police chief and I am thankful that he is now providing it."
"I appreciate former Chief Theetge’s tenure of dedicated service to CPD and our City’s public safety," said Evan Nolan in a statement. "I understand and respect the City Manager’s decision to move in a new direction. The reasoning is clear to me and reflects my own personal past experience interacting with CPD leadership. My focus is on keeping our residents safe. The City must continue to prioritize investments in the resources that CPD needs to be at its best. I am thankful for the recent progress that has been made, and I am confident in the future that lies ahead."
What happens next?
Long said the city will provide an update on permanent leadership in the coming weeks.
It’s not clear if that means Hennie will be appointed permanent chief, or if the city will conduct an internal or external hiring process.
In the meantime, Long said she wouldn’t speculate on the likelihood of a lawsuit or possibility of a settlement.
“We are prepared to follow through with whatever process is appropriate,” Long said.
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