MINNEAPOLIS — The leader of Civil Rights Department for the city of Minneapolis is out of a job.
In a statement to KARE 11 Friday, city officials confirmed Civil Rights Director Alberder Gillespie "has concluded her service with the City of Minneapolis as of today."
City officials did not provide an official reason for Gillespie's sudden departure from the role; however, documents obtained by KARE 11 indicate Gillespie was dismissed from the job by Mayor Jacob Frey on the recommendation of City Operations Officer Margaret Anderson Kelliher, alleging concerns about the department's handling of responsibilities for the Office of Police Conduct Review.
KARE 11 has also learned that the Director of the Office of Police Conduct Review, John K. Jefferson, also had his last day with the city on Friday. The city would not confirm the circumstances surrounding Jefferson's departure.
The Civil Rights Department is tasked with overseeing city compliance with a settlement agreement reached with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights for police reforms, including the Office of Police Conduct Review.
In a message recommending that Mayor Frey fire Gillespie, Kelliher wrote: "The dysfunction under Director Gillespie's leadership is threatening the City's ability to make progress on the accountability improvements that are necessary to comply with the settlement agreement and to make meaningful police reforms that the people of Minneapolis expect and deserve."
"We take the mission of the Civil Rights Department very seriously and are committed to implementing the reforms required by the settlement agreement," Minneapolis city spokesperson Sarah McKenzie said in a statement. "We look forward to advancing all of the important work of the Civil Rights Department in service of Minneapolis."
Stacey Gurian-Sherman, who works under the umbrella of the Civil Rights Department as an appointed member of the Community Commission on Police Oversight, said she was "shocked" by Gillespie's firing but felt it was justified.
"I think there have been obstacles from the beginning. I've been raising issues about mandatory trainings that were not happening. I was raising issues about public engagement... I've brought up issues about police review," Gurian-Sherman said. "If this is the first test of whether the city can or will respond to the consent decree, I don't think they're getting a passing grade."
According to the city's website, Gillespie was first appointed to the position on an interim basis in November 2021, and later appointed to a full, four-year term in January 2022, due to expire in January 2026.
A city spokesperson said Kelliher will temporarily oversee the Civil Rights Department "while we move expeditiously to fill this role."
KARE 11 has been unable to reach Gillespie thus far for her response.
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