Selection committee member sues city

A member of Boulder’s Police Oversight Panel Selection Committee filed a lawsuit Wednesday against the city and City Council over their handling of a complaint that led to Lisa Sweeney-miran’s recent dismissal from the panel.

The plaintiff, Jude Landsman, was the NAACP Boulder County representative on the 2022-2023 POP Selection Committee, which recommended Sweeney-miran’s appointment to the panel. An official court filing dated Wednesday alleged that Boulder and its City Council committed an “abuse of discretion” by overriding the committee’s finding that Sweeney-miran was fit to serve on the panel.

A news release from the office of Landsman’s attorney, Darren O’connor, stated that the city had “used an inapplicable code section to overturn the determinations of the Selection Committee, did not afford members of the Selection Committee their due process rights at any point during the investigation, and publicly and falsely claimed that Ms. Landsman and the other members of the Selection Committee had failed to do their duty.”

The lawsuit comes after a Code of Conduct complaint filed earlier this year against the POP Selection Committee for its recommendation to appoint Sweeney-miran, alleging that the committee “failed to adequately evaluate whether candidates immediately prior to appointment demonstrate absence of any real or perceived bias (or) prejudice.”

The complaint suggested Sweeney-miran showed “real or perceived bias” because she had made social media posts criticizing police and, prior to her appointment, was also a plaintiff in the ACLU lawsuit against Boulder’s camping ban. Boulder hired special investigator Clay Douglas to investigate the complaint, and after Douglas found the complaint “had merit,” City Council voted 5-2 at a May 4 meeting to remove Sweeney-miran from the panel.

“The city is aware of the lawsuit and is currently evaluating its options,” said Sarah Huntley, a spokesperson for Boulder. “We are not commenting on the allegations as they are now part of active litigation. The city will share its response to the lawsuit through court filings and proceedings at an appropriate time.”

Landsman could not immediately be reached for comment.