Newly filed court records revealed that Boise city officials’ decision to fire their police oversight director was driven in part by accusations that he leaked a confidential memo to the media, and that he handled officers’ complaints improperly.
Statements made by city officials in depositions, which were obtained by the Idaho Statesman, shed light on the city’s reasons for firing Jesus Jara. The hundreds of pages of court records were entered as part of a lawsuit Jara has filed alleging that city officials “illegally retaliated against him” for investigating complaints against former Police Chief Ryan Lee.
The confidential one-page memo in question, which recommended that city officials place Lee on administrative leave, was used in a KTVB article that first publicized complaints against Lee. According to the court records, Jara released the memo to officers who had complained but denied providing it to KTVB.
The city hasn’t yet responded to the court filings, but a hearing on the motion has been scheduled for March 18, online court records showed. The mayor’s office declined to comment and did not respond to a list of emailed questions.