Police official finally ousted
Gretchen Hoffman
GLENDALE -- Nine months after he was fired as Glendale Police
Department spokesman, Chahe Keuroghelian is finally off the city payroll.
Keuroghelian, a civilian police employee who has been on paid leave
since August 2000, was served his final notice last week, Assistant City
Manager Bob McFall said. Keuroghelian cleaned out his desk on Friday.
Keuroghelian was placed on administrative leave in 2000 after an
investigation started into alleged fraudulent business practices at the
Keuroghelian Education Center.
The investigation continued until July, when he was fired. He
announced in September that he would appeal that decision. Keuroghelian
received notice late last week that his termination would be upheld.
Until that time, Keuroghelian continued to collect his salary of more
than $4,200 per month -- ultimately totaling somewhere in the ballpark of
$80,000.
Neither Keuroghelian nor his attorney could be reached for comment on
Monday.
“When the action is significant and when the case is complex, it’s not
unusual for it to take this amount of time,” McFall said.
McFall, who served as the hearing officer for the appeal and made the
final decision to terminate Keuroghelian, declined to comment further on
why Keuroghelian was fired. He had been the Glendale Police spokesman
since 1992.
Glendale Police declined to comment.
Keuroghelian was convicted in March 2000 of brandishing a handgun at
his wife in 1999. They are now divorced.
QUESTION: How do you feel about the way City Hall and the Glendale
Police Department handled Chahe Keuroghelian’s termination?