TUPA alleges 3 women officers were "unjustly terminated"
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Temple University's Police Association president alleges three female officers were unjustly terminated earlier this week. He says the move has only added to growing concerns about the university's support of its officers and is calling for the resignation of the university's vice president of public safety.
The terminations come three months after the death of Temple Police Sergeant Christopher Fitzgerald who was killed in the line of duty back on February 18.
"They're beside themselves. They like working at Temple. They like serving the community," Alec Shaffer said.
Temple University's Police Association President Shaffer tells CBS News Philadelphia he believes three female officers who were suddenly terminated, were terminated unjustly and without warning for alleged personnel violations not related to on-the-job performance.
"They were pulled into a supervisor's office and said 'Here's this paperwork, you are terminated for this violation, this violation and this violation, sign here you got to turn in your gun and badge,'" Shaffer said.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
— Temple University Police Association (@officialTUPA) June 1, 2023
TUPA demands resignation of Temple VP of Public Safety Dr. Jennifer Griffin.
See statement below: @TempleUniv pic.twitter.com/U3rR8aEBz4
He says firings like this are rare and he is now working with university leadership to have all three veteran officers reinstated based on both lack of cause and due process.
"These officers have a very clean background," Shaffer said. "They've never been written up for any type of these violations or any type of job performance issues."
Shaffer says the terminations were approved by the university's Vice President for Public Safety Dr. Jennifer Griffin at a time when Temple is already facing staffing shortages and grieving for one of their own, Sgt. Fitzgerald.
"It creates a lot of distrust within the ranks of the police officers," Shaffer said.
In a statement, Temple University tells CBS News Philadelphia:
"Temple University does not provide details on personnel matters. However, we have work rules that all police officers are aware of and required to follow. Those rules embody core values of law enforcement and we take violations of these values and rules extremely seriously."