GOTTESMAN & ASSOCIATES, LLC

ATTORNEYS AT LAW
404 EAST TWELFTH STREET, FIRST FLOOR
CINCINNATI, OHIO 45202-7463
EMAIL: zg@zgottesmanlaw.com
TELEPHONE: 513-651-2121
FACSIMILE: 513-586-0655

15 February 2022

Via email only (cityattorney@columbus.gov)

Zach Klein, Esq.

Columbus City Attorney
77 North Front Street
Columbus, Ohio 43215

Re: The On-Going Abuse of Deputy Chief Jennifer Knight

Dear Mr. Klein:

Since its inception, the random drug-testing program for employees of the Columbus
Division of Police has been for appearances and theatrics. The records in my possession
demonstrate with bell-like clarity that in practice the program was laxly administered in a manner
that allowed sworn personnel at every rank, including Deputy Chiefs, to miss and/or reschedule
drug testing appointments to comport with their schedule without consequence. This has been the
established practice since 2016. Notably, there is no written policy in effect to establish guidelines,
enforcement provisions or penalties.

The City of Columbus elected to deviate from this established practice when Deputy Chief
Jennifer Knight missed her scheduled drug testing appointment on Monday, Nov. 15, 2021. Instead
of allowing her to reschedule (as could any other Deputy Chief), DC Knight was relieved of her
powers and her gun and badge were taken from her. Further, she was informed that her missed test
would be deemed by the City to constitute a positive test and thereby serve as a basis to subject
her to demeaning, invasive and discriminatory testing that includes completely undressing and
requiring the technician to actually observe the urine stream flow into the receptacle. This sort of
treatment is shocking and by all accounts, DC Knight is the only Division employee ever subjected
to such degrading abuse. Although her gun and badge have been returned and her police powers
reinstated, she has been informed she will be subjected to this testing protocol for the indefinite
future.

The fact that DC Knight has been singled out for this sort of degrading, humiliating and
invasive treatment makes clear it is a deliberate effort by the Division and City Administration to
force her to resign and to retaliate against her because she filed an EEOC charge regarding the
reprisals she has suffered after reporting misconduct by a Division lieutenant.
Zach Klein, Esq.
Re: The On-Going Abuse of Deputy Chief Jennifer Knight
February 15, 2022
Page 2 of 2

If the City of Columbus and the Division of Police do not immediately suspend these drug
testing protocols and remove the contrived “positive test” from her permanent record, I will file
for an injunction to prevent this on-going abuse. There is no justification for subjecting any officer
to this sort of degradation and it will not be tolerated.

Kind regards,

Zachary Gottesman

cc: Chief Elaine Bryant (via email - EBryant@columbus.gov)

Director George Speaks (via email - GESpeaks@columbus.gov)