Nearly half of Clarkston’s police officer jobs are vacant. Now, the city’s chief of police says she expects to leave the department, too.
Police Chief Christine Hudson said Friday she doesn’t have specific plans or a date in mind but will step down at some point soon. She isn’t sure she’ll stay in law enforcement.
“I’ll probably go do something else, but as to what that something else is, I don’t know,” Hudson said.
Hudson, who has worked for the city since 2009 and served as chief of police since 2012, said she couldn’t elaborate on her decision but it’s partly prompted by the complaints she filed in April and May with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, alleging racial discrimination by City Manager Shawanna Qawiy.
In her complaint to the EEOC, Hudson says Qawiy is “making efforts to force me out of my role as Chief of the Clarkston Police Department by padding my personnel file with pretextual and bogus write-ups.”
Hudson is white; Qawiy is Black.
“She has repeatedly tried to impede my ability to perform my job based on my race,” Hudson wrote.
Qawiy did not respond to a request for comment. She became Clarkston’s city manager officially in June 2022, but had served in the role on an interim basis since September the prior year. She oversees all city departments, including police.
In the initial complaint Hudson filed with the EEOC on April 20, the chief alleged that Qawiy had discriminated against her since becoming interim city manager.
Hudson filed the complaint with the EEOC as well as a grievance with the city one week after Qawiy suspended her for five days without pay, citing failure to follow instructions, inefficiency, conduct unbecoming of a city employee and insubordination. Hudson said the basis for the disciplinary action was factually inaccurate.
According to Hudson, the discipline stemmed from a series of interactions between the two women on April 12.
That day, Hudson had emailed Qawiy to say she disagreed with her decision not to negotiate a counteroffer with the candidate for assistant police chief who scored highest during the interview process. She said the two remaining candidates weren’t experienced enough and recommended the city reopen the search.
The two had a meeting that day on an unrelated topic. Hudson said Qawiy spoke to her “in a manner and tone that attacked Chief Hudson’s integrity.” In response, Hudson pushed her chair back and said “Here we go again.” Hudson wrote that Qawiy told her, “That’s disrespectful, Chief.”
Hudson said she was told these incidents were the basis for her suspension.
In response to her grievance with the city, Qawiy changed the discipline to paid instead of unpaid, but upheld her decision to discipline Hudson, according to an amended complaint Hudson filed with the EEOC in May.
In the amended complaint, Hudson alleged retaliation as a result of her initial report and said she had learned that Qawiy maintains a file on Hudson that is separate from her personnel file. The reports in this second file are inaccurate, she said.
Hudson said in an interview that beyond her own complaint, she is concerned about staffing issues at the police department. Officers have raised concerns about pay and working conditions to Qawiy and other city leaders.
Out of 21 police officer positions, 13 were filled as of July 7, Hudson said. She knows of one other person leaving the department next week and expects to lose three more by August, leaving her with nine officers to serve the city of about 14,500.
“It’s concerning,” Hudson said.
The city is talking with DeKalb County Police about having some of that department’s officers assist. The department has a job fair scheduled July 12 at the Clarkston Women’s Club.
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