Sides drawn in coming legal battle over Boston Police commissioner

BOSTON — The legal battle over who will lead the Boston Police Department is headed for court. On Thursday, lawyers for suspended Police Commissioner Dennis White will ask a Suffolk County Superior Court judge to grant an order preventing acting Boston Mayor Kim Janey from terminating his contract.

Previous Boston Mayor Marty Walsh promoted Dennis White to commissioner in February when Boston Police Commissioner William Gross unexpectedly retired over a health issue. Within days, previously little-known domestic violence allegations lodged against White during a divorce in the late 1990s emerged.

Dennis White has denied the allegations. He was placed on administrative leave and Superintendent Gregory Long was named Interim Police Superintendent.

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On Friday, acting Mayor Kim Janey released the results of an independent investigation into the allegations and informed White she was terminating his contract. White responded by filing an injunction against the City of Boston, claiming wrongful termination and that he was denied due process.

At City Hall Monday, the acting mayor said she is looking forward to naming a new Boston Police Commissioner once a Superior Court judge issues a ruling in White’s wrongful termination case.

“I am scheduling a hearing as soon as the court allows to remove this current commissioner and to appoint a new commissioner so that we can move our city forward. Until we get a ruling, which we expect sometime this week, we’ll have to wait and see on that,” Janey said.

Attorneys for the City of Boston have not yet filed their legal response to Dennis White’s injunction.

Cox Media Group