Judge says 'coaching' by Minneapolis police not discipline, records not public
File photo of a Minneapolis police squad car. (FOX 9)
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A Hennepin County judge ruled this week that the Minneapolis Police Department does not have to release records about certain officers who have received "coaching" because it is not considered formal discipline.
The backstory
The Minnesota Coalition for Government Information (MNCOGI) sued the city in 2021 after the department denied its request for information about officers who had received coaching, including former officer Derek Chauvin.
Chauvin’s personnel record and the department’s practice of coaching officers came under scrutiny after he was charged with murdering George Floyd in May 2020.
3-year legal battle
MNCOGI, a nonprofit that advocates for government transparency, argued the department was using coaching as a form of discipline and records detailing an officer’s misconduct should be made public as required under the state’s Data Practices Act.
An attorney for MNCOGI also claimed the department was using coaching for serious policy violations and not just low-level offenses.
In 2023, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said that MPD uses coaching to address many allegations that are "far from ‘low-level.’"
Not discipline. Not public.
But the city maintained that coaching was not the same as discipline and refused to release the records.
Judge Karen Janisch agreed.
"The undisputed facts in the record establish that coaching is not imposed by the City as a form of disciplinary action intended to penalize or punish employees," Janisch wrote in her ruling. "Because the imposing of coaching is not a disciplinary action, documents related to coaching are private personnel data."
Jansich granted summary judgement to the City of Minneapolis and the Minneapolis Police Federation.
She went on to say that coaching officers was part of a mutual understanding between the city and the police union.
Reform efforts
A perceived lack of discipline for officers who are untruthful or use lack of force has led to a lack of trust from the public.
Earlier this year, the city announced it will spend millions on new technology to "flag" problematic behavior by tracking internal records.
But FOX 9 Investigators found that the system may have a blind spot since it still relies on supervisors to intervene.
Last year, the DOJ found Minneapolis does not "adequately supervise officers."
For example, years before murdering George Floyd, Derek Chauvin was accused of excessive force after kneeling on a 14-year old’s neck. He was never disciplined.