BLINN COLLEGE PD ASST. CHIEF ACCUSES BLINN OF RETALIATION IN LAWSUIT

  

A high-ranking member of Blinn College’s Police Department has filed a lawsuit against the College after claims of retaliation.

Jennifer Taylor, who was hired at Blinn in 2017 and has served as Assistant Police Chief and Emergency Management Director, names the Blinn College District and its police department, Police Chief John Chancellor, and District Chancellor Dr. Mary Hensley as defendants in her lawsuit, alleging violation of the Texas Whistleblower Act. 

A release from the law firm Gregor Wynne Arney, PLLC, claims that the parties retaliated against Taylor after she reported to the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) that a civilian district employee, identified in the lawsuit as Bryan Carlisle, who works as the district’s director of safety and risk management, had acted as a police officer during the arrest of a student in August 2023.

Per the lawsuit, Carlisle surrendered his peace officer license in 2018 as part of a plea agreement with the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office in connection to a family disturbance in 2017.

During initial investigation of the reported incident, Taylor, according to the lawsuit, searched for Blinn College Police Department body-camera footage of what occurred, but it was absent from the department’s recorded body of footage.  She was able to obtain a copy of a Brenham Police Department officer’s camera footage of the same incident, which allegedly showed Carlisle wearing a Blinn College Police Department badge with a radio and firearm while arresting a handcuffed suspect.

Taylor claims that nothing was done about the reported crime upon informing Chancellor and Dr. Hensley, so she submitted an anonymous report to TCOLE.  Soon after, according to the lawsuit, Chancellor placed Taylor on a performance improvement plan, ordered her to move her office out of the police department and presented her with moving boxes.  She also alleges that she was removed from authority by the adoption of a policy manual that excludes her position, had her access to TCOLE systems eliminated, was docked pay and sick leave, and was subjected to an internal investigation that she believes was targeted due to her status as a witness in the TCOLE investigation.

Per the suit, TCOLE’s investigation concluded that Carlisle had been allowed to perform peace officer duties while unlicensed and was issued police equipment and authority.  Additionally, the suit claims the investigation found that 5 ½ years of Blinn police body camera footage had been destroyed after repeated alteration of department-wide retention settings, but Blinn College decision makers did not give notice to anyone.  TCOLE issued a $10,000 administrative penalty notice to the department and a written reprimand to Chancellor.

As of today (Thursday), Taylor is still listed on Blinn College’s organizational chart as Assistant Police Chief and Emergency Management Director, while Carlisle is still listed as the Director of Safety and Risk Management.  Taylor is seeking injunctive relief and up to $250,000 in damages. 

In a statement, Blinn College says it is aware of the lawsuit and that it “takes its obligations under federal and state law seriously.”  It adds, “Because this matter is now in litigation, the District's public comment will be limited, and it will address this matter through the litigation process.”