Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Against Neillsville Police Chief

Thursday, March 3rd, 2022 -- 4:02 PM

A judge has dismissed a lawsuit brought against Neillsville’s Police Chief by a former city officer.

Neillsville Police Officer Patrick Fehlman acted as Interim Police Chief for Neillsville after the resignation of former Chief Scott Klueckmann. Fehlman began in February of 2019 and remained as Interim Chief until December of that year.

The City eventually hired current chief, Jim Mankowski, and he took over in December of 2019. According to the report provided by Chief Mankowski’s lawyer, Josh Johanningmeier, Fehlman and Mankowski had a contentious relationship from the beginning.

Fehlman frequently made complaints to Mankowski, stating that he wasn’t running the department properly and putting officers at risk. Eventually, feeling his complaints weren’t being heard, he went to the City’s Police and Fire Commission.

After things came to a head between the two, Fehlman quit and brought a lawsuit against Mankowski stating he was violating his first amendment rights and attempting to interfere with his efforts to find another job.

Chief Mankowski felt Fehlman was retaliating against him because he had also applied for the position, but was passed over. On March 1st, the judge dismissed Fehlman’s amended complaint in its entirety and with prejudice.

According to the statement provided by Johanningmeier, “After two chances, his original complaint and an amended complaint filed after Chief Mankowski moved to dismiss the original complaint, Fehlman still could not convince the court that he had any viable claims against the chief. Indeed, Judge Peterson noted that Fehlman’s claims were “doom[ed]” by controlling law because the supposed First Amendment free speech Fehlman relied on was simply unprotected employee complaints about workplace conditions and his supervisor.  The judge also refused to give Fehlman a third chance to plead his case, noting that “the facts [Fehlman] did plead show that he isn’t entitled to relief” and “amendment would be futile.”  As Chief Mankowski has previously noted, Fehlman’s actions in the federal court, and earlier unsuccessful forays into the Neillsville Police & Fire Commission, have been nothing more than a grudge campaign carried out since Fehlman was passed over for the chief’s job.”

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