An officer fired from the Florida Atlantic University police department for threatening to shoot a coworker wants his job back.
An arbitrator ruled William Hernandez is entitled to the job plus his salary from the year he’s been away from the department.
But this month FAU filed a motion arguing the arbitrator doesn’t have jurisdiction to reinstate the officer.
The president of the Palm Beach County Police Benevolent Association, which represents Hernandez, told NewsChannel 5 both sides agreed to use an arbitrator and his ruling should stand.
“You have to bring him back. To go through this motion to vacate is just a waste of time and a waste of taxpayer money, where that money could go to good use to help the kids further their education,” explained John Kasanjian.
FAU fired Hernandez in July of 2016, after placing him on paid leave in June of 2016. Court records indicate he told the interim chief of police he’d like to shoot a fellow officer after an argument about the K9 unit.
Kazanjian said the chief’s decision to fire Hernandez without first having an outside agency investigate the claims violated Hernandez’s rights laid out in the collective bargaining agreement between the union and the university.
A university spokesperson said FAU doesn’t comment on pending lawsuits.