Deerwood Mayor Mike Aulie
In telephone interviews, Aulie and Taylor both said they were unable to comment on the letter until after the Deerwood City Council discusses the matter June 7 during a closed meeting. Aulie said he views Goddard’s letter as a complaint against an employee, which is why the issue will be discussed in a closed session, per Minnesota statutes.
According to findings in Askegaard’s ruling, Taylor recorded conversations with Coughlin and Randolph without their knowledge sometime before April 2018. Coughlin asked Taylor for a meeting and he agreed to meet in person. During the meeting, Coughlin informed Taylor she believed there was a lack of effective communication between the Crosby and Deerwood police departments, specifically in reference to Smith. She claimed she had three examples involving Smith:
“It is not a decision I take lightly,” Goddard wrote, stating it was necessary after reading the findings of the defamation lawsuit filed by former Crosby Police Officer Jesse Smith against the city of Crosby and the police department's top two ranking officers.
Judge dismisses police officer’s defamation suit against city of Crosby
The defamation suit was dismissed with prejudice, meaning it can never be brought back to court. Jesse Smith was placed on paid administrative leave two times in a four-year period. Both times he was fired and both times he got his job back through arbitration. 3:15 am, May 3, 2021 ×
Crow Wing County Judicial Center Saturday, April 10, 2021. Kelly Humphrey / Brainerd Dispatch
A defamation lawsuit filed by former Crosby Police Officer Jesse Smith against the city of Crosby and the police department s top two ranking officers was dismissed in its entirety.
Ninth Judicial Judge Erik J. Askegaard submitted his ruling on the case Wednesday, April 28, in Crow Wing County District Court in Brainerd. The case was dismissed with prejudice, meaning it cannot be brought back to court.