College Park’s latest shakeup in leadership — the resignation of Police Chief Connie Rogers — comes while the city is facing a legal action from her second-in-command.
Deputy Police Chief Sharis McCrary, a 22-year veteran of the department, filed a federal discrimination lawsuit against College Park that alleges she was unfairly passed over for the chief position in 2022.
Rogers confirmed her resignation to 11Alive News Tuesday night, saying she would not issue a public statement until speaking with an attorney. While the reasons for her departure remain unclear, her exit places renewed attention on McCrary’s lawsuit, which claims the city blocked her from consideration for the chief role despite serving as interim police chief for a year before Rogers was appointed.
According to the lawsuit filed in 2023, a male police colonel in the department at the time demanded a behind-the-scenes power-sharing arrangement if McCrary was promoted, and expected to be the real decision-maker while McCrary served as the public face of the department.
McCrary contends in lawsuit that she was never seriously considered for the job. With Rogers’ resignation, McCrary is again positioned to permanently lead the department.
The shakeup is taking place as the city remains engrossed in ongoing turnover and a number of controversies. Among them is the firing of city managers. Last month, College Park fired City Manager Lindell Miller near the end of a council meeting. It happened in a similar manner to Miller’s predecessor, Emmanuel Adediran, who was also terminated without explanation last May.
On the Facebook page, Speak Up College Park, resident James Walker wrote in part, “… We have known for far too long that things were a$$ backwards here in our beloved city. The turnover is unprecedented …”
