MILLERSVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Rob Richman uprooted his family more than 800 miles to take on what he considered the perfect challenge.
Millersville was searching for a new police chief after months of embarrassing revelations and unanimously voted to hire Richman as the city’s much-needed change. However, his plan to help a struggling police department quickly came to an end.
Four weeks after he was hired, Richman was fired over the phone. No cause. No warning. Richman moved his family to Millersville and sold his home in Austin, Texas. He had already retired from law enforcement after roughly 30 years on the job, and said he would only return to the profession if the right opportunity came along.
“The way I was terminated was a pleasant phone call that basically said, ‘Hey Rob, I just wanted to let you know thank you for your time here, but we decided to go in another direction,’” Richman said.
It was a gut check for Richman who was in his office typing reports for the woman who replaced his boss three days earlier and was now replacing him.
NewsChannel 5 Investigates was working on a story that same day, having just interviewed Richman about the position he moved halfway across the country to accept.
The phone rang, and we were told Millersville was again searching for a new police chief.
“I wasn’t given any cause, and I guess they don’t have to, but it would’ve been nice to be told before I moved my entire family, that they had no intention of keeping me. I really feel in essence betrayed,” Richman said.
You typically don't see a lot of turnover when it comes to police chiefs, but Millersville has seen four different chiefs since 2021.
Some chiefs last a year, others last a few months, but every resignation followed controversy.
This was no different in Richman’s case, other than he had no control over what happened.
The decision to fire the man who hired Richman was in the works months before Millersville was even on his radar.
“That place needs change. What’s going on there is an injustice in my opinion,” Richman said.
Mayor Tommy Long told NewsChannel 5 Investigates he believed voters elected Alisa Huling as commissioner knowing she intended on firing then city manager Scott Avery.
“Elections have consequences. We’ve got a new city manager. People want change and I think she’s going to try to honor what the people wanted. We’re going in a new direction,” Long said.
Huling became the deciding vote to fire Avery 15 minutes after she was sworn into office.
Commissioners voted to name Tina Tobin as interim city manager that same night and Long says the terminations that followed were her decision.
“I think what really hurts me is that I received so many calls from citizens and they’re crying, they’re bawling, they’re literally so disappointed by what happened,” Richman said.
Commissioners Cristina Templet and David Gregory have now called for a special meeting to take place Friday at 6 p.m. in city hall where they will demand explanations from city officials on why so many were fired without cause.
Templet has accused her colleagues of open meetings violations for allegedly discussing these changes among themselves outside of a public meeting.
Another concern is Millersville hiring Nashville attorney Bryant Kroll as their new city attorney, following years of lawsuits filed by Kroll against the city of Millersville.
NewsChannel 5 Investigates has reported on stories where Kroll represented several now former Millersville police officers in lawsuits against the city.
It was that logic that Kroll said made him an appealing option for Tobin who felt he could help the city avoid future lawsuits.
“It was kind of spur of the moment thing. It is different, but I also have so much experience challenging municipal actions. It makes sense in a way. They wanted me to come in and help clean the mess there and if I’m going to do it, now is the time,” Kroll said.
Kroll says he has no pending lawsuits against the city and everyone he represented has since left the city, therefore he doesn’t believe there are any conflicts of interest.
The city also hired former Ridgetop Police Chief Bryan Morris to replace Richman. If the name sounds familiar, this is the same Morris who filed a lawsuit against the city of Ridgetop after the police department there was disbanded.
As for Richman, he’s planning on staying in the area and says he already has leads on a new position.
He says moving to Millersville was never about the money or the title, but rather an opportunity to make a difference.
