Police union says Whitehall officer Enrique Ortega was fired unjustly

WHITEHALL, Ohio (WCMH) -- A Whitehall police officer was terminated Friday following a pre-disciplinary hearing, prompting outrage from the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP).

According to a press release from FOP, officer Enrique Ortega was let go after Whitehall Public Safety Director Van Gregg, conducted a pre-disciplinary hearing that looked into union-protected activities and a conversation Ortega had with Whitehall mayor Michael Bivens regarding a number of issues within the department, including low morale among officers and a hostile and retaliatory culture.

The FOP alleges that Ortega was discriminated and retaliated against after conducting a union survey of the working conditions and mental health of officers within the Whitehall police department.

The allegations come after Whitehall officers held a vote of "no confidence" in police chief Mike Crispen, citing what they called a lack of leadership and threats of discipline for not meeting arrest and citation quotas.

Last month, the FOP filed a lawsuit against the Whitehall police department, arguing Ortega was targeted for conducting protected union activities.

"Despite hundreds of pages of supporting documents and evidence refuting the retaliatory and fabricated charges by Chief Mike Crispen, the FOP is deeply disappointed to learn that Director Van Gregg took only 19 minutes to render a decision," FOP 9 president Brian Steel said in a statement.

As of Friday night, Ortega is still listed as a fulltime officer at Whitehall on the Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy portal and on the Whitehall police department website.

NBC4 reached out to the city of Whitehall and the police department for comment but have not heard back.