Medina Police Chief Jeffrey Chen has accused City Manager Donna Hanson of forcing him out of his post last month because of his attempt to investigate a city employee who, he said, was leaking sensitive information.

According to a seven-page letter, dated Jan. 27, he circulated to the City Council that was obtained by the Reporter, Chen learned he was under investigation but was not given the circumstances. He wrote that Hanson offered him a choice between administrative leave and resignation, though he said she pushed him to quit.

Chen turned in a one-sentence, hand-written note dated Dec. 17 tendering his resignation as of Dec. 31, 2010. Six days later, he rescinded his resignation and was put on paid administrative leave. Chen’s situation became a hot issue at the month’s City Council meeting when a vote was called to terminate Hanson during the discussion of the chief, a motion that two council members supported.

Hanson did not immediately return a phone call from the Reporter requesting comment. Mayor Bret Jordan did not return an e-mail requesting comment.

Chen wrote that in October 2010 he was looking into a city employee who logged on to the company e-mail archiving system and leaked important information. Several members of city staff had their own usernames and passwords for the system, but he wrote that city rules didn’t delineate who could gain access to the system.

Chen said he consistently used the system, but in this instance under the name of the city clerk, not under his own login.

Chen wrote that he attempted to report the leaks to the city manager, but said she told him to stop looking into it, and that the manner would be handled.

“She immediately tensed up and barked at me, saying she didn’t want me to do anything more on this,” Chen wrote in his letter.

In December, Chen said he was interviewed by an attorney – he thought about his whistleblower report on the unauthorized leaks. As the interview progressed, Chen realized he was the one being interrogated.

According to the letter, two days after the interview Hanson voiced her intention to suspend him for unauthorized use of the archiving system. Chen argued that he has always been authorized in the system, but Hanson disagreed.

“After repeating her intent to suspend me, she dealt another blow and suggested it would be better for me to resign,” Chen wrote. “I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I didn’t even know I was under investigation.”

According to RCW 35.18.060, the city manager is enabled to appoint and remove any employee of a city. But Chen wrote that what Hanson did was not within her power.

“City of Medina officials and employees are prohibited from taking retaliatory action against an employee because he has, in good faith, reported an improper government action,” he wrote.

Chen wrote he was never told that he was under investigation, or what he was being investigated for. He requested that he be given written information about the investigation. In addition, Chen asked to be reinstated starting next week, and that the city clear his name.

Chen has been with the Medina Police Department since 2001, and he became chief in 2004.