Former Lieutenant with Michigan State Police Settles Whistleblowers’ Suit

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A retired lieutenant has settled a $2 million whistleblowers’ lawsuit against Michigan, the state police and her former supervisors.

Twana Powell’s lawsuit was settled in April, the Detroit Free Press reported.

Powell was both the first woman and first African American to lead the internal affairs unit before retiring in October 2018.

Powell had alleged officials forced her out in violation of the Whistleblowers’ Protection Act and discriminated against her on the basis of race, gender, age and disability.

Officials often objected to officer misconduct investigations when race was a central issue, she said.

The settlement is not an admission of guilt but was made to avoid the cost and uncertainty of continued litigation, state police spokeswoman Shanon Banner told the newspaper Tuesday in an email.

Powell’s lawsuit was filed in 2018 in Ingham County Circuit Court.

She spent 25 years with the state police and was promoted to head internal affairs in 2015.