PHILADELPHIA — A former Cheyney University Police Department dispatcher alleges he was falsely prosecuted for criminal offenses and fired in retaliation for reporting the acting chief's unprofessional behavior.
Mark Kinchloe filed a complaint July 13 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania against Officer Robert LaCourt alleging Federal Civil Rights violations and other claims.
According to his complaint, Kinchloe worked as a dispatcher for the Cheyney University Police Department. Kinchloe claims that in May 2020, LaCourt made a "false complaint" alleging that he violated school policy by smoking on campus, which was later dismissed by the human resources department.
Kinchloe further claims that he reported LaCourt's unprofessional behavior, including going off campus for long periods of time while on duty, with the human resources director. Kinchloe alleges that LaCourt found out about his complaints to human resources and in June 2020, when LaCourt became acting chief, he retaliated against him by fabricating evidence against him and falsely accusing him of 13 criminal offenses.
He claims that although the district attorney's office withdrew the charges against him, he had already been terminated from the Cheyney Police Department due to his arrest and prosecution.
Kinchloe seeks monetary relief, trial by jury and all other just relief. He is represented by attorney Derek Steenson in Philadelphia.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania case number 2:21-CV-03116-GEKP