51黑料

ST. LOUIS 鈥� A former deputy says he was illegally fired by 51黑料 Sheriff Alfred Montgomery and that he plans to file a discrimination complaint.

The ex-deputy, Tony Kirchner, and other white deputies have been 鈥渟ystematically鈥� removed from the department, said attorney Brandy Barth at a news conference Thursday afternoon.

Barth, representing Kirchner, said attorneys have identified a dozen white employees who have been removed.

Kirchner, who is running a second time for 1st Ward alderman, said at the news conference he believes the sheriff colluded with Kirchner鈥檚 opponent on the firing.

Alderwoman Anne Schweitzer falsely told the sheriff Kirchner was campaigning in uniform, Kirchner said.

鈥淚 never thought in a million years that running for alderman, running for any city office ... could cost you your job,鈥� said Kirchner, who worked for the sheriff鈥檚 office for 12 years. 鈥淭his is where we find ourselves. And I thought politics was about being the best candidate doing the job.鈥�

In an interview, Schweitzer said she indeed reported Kirchner to his boss because Kirchner 鈥渉as been regularly campaigning in uniform in front of me and other attendees at neighborhood meetings鈥� since he first ran for the seat in 2023.

She said she also raised the concerns to former Sheriff Vernon Betts but nothing happened.

鈥淲hen someone is doing something that is against state statute,鈥� Schweitzer said, 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 important to tell their boss about it.鈥�

Kirchner said he sometimes attended ward meetings to represent the sheriff鈥檚 department. He denies campaigning in uniform.

Montgomery didn鈥檛 respond to a request for comment Thursday afternoon.

Attorneys for Kirchner said it will take months for his complaint to make its way through the agencies that handle discrimination allegations: the Missouri Human Rights Commission and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. If the complaint isn鈥檛 resolved, the attorneys can file a lawsuit.

In the meantime, said attorney Talmage Newton, Kirchner should be immediately reappointed to his position 鈥渨ith no conditions until and unless such time as he opts to leave the office on his terms or for another legal reason, not for illegal reasons.鈥�

The 1st Ward includes South Side neighborhoods such as Carondelet, Holly Hills and Boulevard Heights. In the 2023 race against Kirchner, Schweitzer won 52% to 47.5%, with a margin of 142 votes.

The candidates will face off again in the April 8 general election.

Kirchner鈥檚 allegations against Montgomery come in the wake of another controversy involving the sheriff. Last week, Montgomery handcuffed a top administrator at the downtown city jail for refusing the sheriff access to a detainee.

A former sheriff鈥檚 deputy is accused of illegal sexual conduct with the detainee. Montgomery claimed he wanted to question the detainee but was blocked by Deputy Corrections Commissioner Tammy Ross. Montgomery then had her handcuffed and detained. Mayor Tishaura Jones has said Montgomery was wrong to act the way he did and called for an investigation of the incident.