WASHINGTON (WUSA) – Former U.S. Park Police Chief Teresa Chambers spoke to 9NEWS NOW Tuesday night about the order to reinstate her as chief. She says she is elated about the reversal and that she's confident she'll be able to get her old job back.
"I always believed that through prayer and perseverance that standing up for what was right would pay off in the end," Chambers told 9NEWS NOW's Ken Molestina Tuesday night. The Interior Department fired Chambers in 2004, seven months after she was suspended for publicly saying her department is understaffed and underfunded.
The action came hours after Chambers asked an administrative judge to reinstate her while her appeal was heard by a civil service board. Chambers contended that her public statements, which the Washington Post published in an article on December 2, 2003, were appropriate and that others in the department said similar things.
According to the court document posted Tuesday, Chambers' immediate supervisor sent her an email the same day the Washington Post article was published telling her not to do any more interviews without clearing them with him or another supervisor. Three days later, the same supervisor placed her on paid administrative leave pending a review of conduct.
On December 17, 2003, he proposed removing Chambers for reasons including making improper budget communications, making public remarks about security, improperly disclosing budget deliberations, improper lobbying, failing to follow supervisors' instructions and failing to follow the chain of command.
Tuesday, a court document showed the United States of America Merit Systems Protection Board reversed the initial decision, granted Chambers a request for corrective action and ordered the Department of Interior to cancel Chambers' placement on administrative leave and removal. Chambers said she still doesn't know exactly what she did wrong but says that pointing out shortcomings may have angered some higher-ups in the government, ultimately leading to her firing.
In her opinion, there's nothing wrong with the statements she made. "I think what's more important though is what this is saying to other federal employees, civil servants who had to wonder is it okay to get fired for simply telling the truth?" stated Chambers. Chambers currently works for the Riverdale Park Police Department in Riverdale Park, Maryland, as a police chief. She was working there while waiting for petitions and appeals to go through.
She says she's confident she'll be able to get her old job back, especially since those she claims were responsible are no longer around. Chambers shared, "I would imagine they're kind of rocking back on their heels tonight as they read the decision about the actions that they took against me and how everything was reversed. But it's time for them to continue their lives and for me to go back."
The U.S. Park Police had no comment for 9NEWS NOW Tuesday night.
Chambers says as part of the reversal, she is entitled to six years worth of backpay, which totals roughly $840,000.