Former University of Missouri officer sues over firing while deployed overseas
Olivia Hayes
EDITOR’S NOTE: AI was used to help research the initial version of this story.
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
A Missouri National Guard soldier and former University of Missouri police officer has filed a lawsuit against the university’s board of curators, claiming wrongful termination while he was deployed overseas.
Jakob Hans Wetter alleges in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that MU violated the Law Enforcement Officers’ Bill of Rights and his constitutional due process rights by firing him without a full hearing while he was on active military duty. The lawsuit, filed in Boone County Circuit Court, claims the university violated several procedures during an investigation into a complaint against Wetter.
The petition also states that Wetter was denied his right to legal counsel during an investigative interview.
An MU spokesman said the university denies the claims in the lawsuit and will respond in court.
“The University of Missouri does not tolerate the kind of behavior exhibited by the plaintiff in this case, and his employment has been terminated. The university denies liability for the claims asserted by the plaintiff and will respond to them in court,” University spokesman Christopher Ave wrote in a Tuesday evening statement.
Wetter was fired on Jan. 21 while on military orders, the suit states. He had worked for MUPD since Sept. 17, 2023.
According to the petition, MUPD initiated an internal investigation against Wetter following a complaint received last August. The investigators allegedly failed to complete the inquiry by the deadline and conducted an interview without allowing Wetter access to a lawyer.
The petition claims that Wetter was informed of his firing via a letter from MUPD Chief Brian Weimer, which cited violations of MUPD policies but did not specify the dates of the alleged misconduct. Wetter argues that the termination letter did not provide him with an opportunity for a hearing or to present evidence in his defense.
Wetter wants his job back with back pay and legal fees.