KALAMAZOO, MI – A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit by a former Kalamazoo Public Safety officer who resigned amid allegations of misconduct during President Barack Obama's June 2010 visit to speak at Kalamazoo Central High School's commencement.



Mark Laster filed suit in October 2011 alleging he was forced to resign from KDPS and was retaliated against because of previous racial-discrimination complaints he filed against the agency with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

He also claimed the city violated the Michigan Freedom of Information Act in 2010 by releasing to MLive/Kalamazoo Gazette his personnel file and Public Safety’s internal investigation of his conduct at K-Central’s commencement.

Internal investigation documents obtained by MLive/Kalamazoo Gazette said Laster, a 23-year veteran of KDPS who was off duty at the time, apparently was drunk when he arrived at Western Michigan University, where the commencement was being held. Once there, he crashed his vehicle into a Michigan State Police cruiser and flashed his badge before parking illegally in a secured area, a violation of federal law, according to the documents.



Former KDPS Assistant Chief LynnWetmore, who conducted the investigation, wrote in her report that Laster, among other things, ignored a command officer then cursed at the lieutenant who told Laster he could not park in the secured lot.

Laster’s lawsuit named the city, City Attorney Clyde Robinson, KDPS Assistant Chief Brian Uridge, former Deputy Chief Samuel Harris, Wetmore, Lt. Jeff VanderWiere and former Lt. Tom Hemingway as defendants. He sued after resigning on Sept. 2, 2010, the same day he was to have appeared for a predetermination hearing before Chief Jeff Hadley to learn what, if any, discipline he would receive for his conduct at the K-Central commencement.

U.S. District Judge Janet T. Neff on April 25 issued a 16-page opinion dismissing Laster’s suit and striking down all of the arguments put forth by his attorney, Ronnie E. Cromer Jr., of Detroit.

MORE: Read the judge's ruling

In her ruling, Neff notes that Laster’s decision to resign came after a phone conversation with former KDPS Lt. Mike McCaw, who told Laster he thought he likely would be fired for misconduct.

The ruling says both McCaw and Laura Misner, former president of the Kalamazoo Public Safety Officers Association, encouraged Laster to pursue the predetermination hearing.

“However, Plaintiff told McCaw that he was going to resign, at least in part, because he thought that he would not get retiree health insurance if he was fired,” Neff wrote.

Contact Rex Hall Jr. at rhall2@mlive.com. Follow him on Twitter.