Sioux City Police Chief finalist Scott Ebner addresses discrimination lawsuit filed against him
SIOUX CITY (KTIV) — The two finalists vying to become Sioux City’s next police chief spoke directly to the public Wednesday, Aug. 6, addressing community concerns regarding an active gender discrimination lawsuit involving one of the candidates.
Scott Ebner and Robert Trebes, the two finalists for the position, participated in a public forum where residents and media raised questions about Ebner’s involvement in an ongoing lawsuit in New Jersey.
Ebner, who served as a lieutenant colonel with the New Jersey State Police, distributed three documents to the media before the forum, including the discrimination complaint and an anonymous complaint alleging inappropriate personal relationships.
According to the discrimination complaint, Ebner was accused of discriminating against Major Wanda Stojanov based on her gender and retaliating against her by attempting to prevent her promotion to major. The complaint alleges the actions violated the New Jersey State Policy Prohibiting Discrimination in the Workplace.
When asked how he would respond to the community’s concerns regarding the active litigation, Ebner said he has been completely transparent.
“I never tried to hide from it, and I completely was up front,” Ebner said. “This line of work, if you’re intimidated or you feel like you’re going to be accused of something... you shouldn’t be in this line of work.”
Ebner emphasized that anyone has a right to file a complaint, but urged the public to look at the outcomes.
“In over a 30-year career, if somebody was doing these things, you would see evidence of it. And an allegation is not evidence. Substantiation is evidence,” Ebner said.
In the official legal documents provided by Ebner, the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General says the allegations against him were unsubstantiated. Wednesday night, Ebner addressed why the lawsuit remains active if he was cleared internally. He noted that the internal report had not yet been shared with the plaintiff’s legal team as the case has not proceeded to trial. And, that the law firm representing the plaintiff has multiple active lawsuits against the state police, but he is only named in this specific suit.
When asked how he would guarantee fair promotional processes for female officers within the Sioux City Police Department, Ebner pointed to his previous hiring decisions in Glynn County, Georgia. He noted that he selected a female assistant chief following a national search.
“I’m promoting them based on merit and performance, and they both perform extremely well. And that’s what I would do here,” Ebner said.
Robert Trebes, the other finalist for the police chief position, was asked whether a candidate facing an active gender discrimination lawsuit should be disqualified from consideration.
Trebes said an active lawsuit should not be an automatic disqualifier.
“I think everybody has a right to be heard, have an investigation done and determine the facts of it,” Trebes said. “Unfortunately, what you do see in law enforcement is sometimes there are false allegations made... Of course, sometimes they’re very legitimate. But everybody deserves to have the things investigated and find out what the facts are.
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