Five Colorado Springs police cadets who flunked out of the academy this year for failing a driving test are suing to restore their positions.
Sadatur Khan, Jason Harsha, Tyler Kelley, Kelly Robinson and Bailey Carpenter are suing Colorado Springs Police Chief Pete Carey and the city for reinstatement in the 66th recruit class, attorney’s fees and back pay for the seven months they’ve gone unpaid, according to a complaint filed in March. Recruits are paid a monthly salary of $4,166.
The five were among eight recruits who in February failed after instructors said they “moved,” “wobbled,” or “touched” one of the orange cones that outline the driver training course – a series of serpentines, 90-degree turns, high-speed lane changes and other maneuvers, the complaint said.
After admitting to hitting cones in their first and second attempts, the recruits said they passed their third runs based on their own observations, and with the Peace Officers Standards and Training required score of 70 percent. An instructor also told Harsha he passed initially, but then pulled him from class a few days later and said he’d actually failed, both parties agreed.
The recruits were given the opportunity to resign or face termination. Four did resign. Khan said he refused to resign and was terminated, a fact the city denied in its response.
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