Fruitland Park Police Chief Terry Isaacs resigned unexpectedly Monday.
Isaacs is a resident of The Villages.
He joined the Fruitland Park Police Department in 2011, holds a master’s degree in Public Administration and formerly served as a Sumter County Sheriff’s Deputy.
City Manager Gary La Venia said he received Isaacs’ letter of resignation when La Venia arrived at City Hall Tuesday morning. La Venia said he could not discuss details but said Isaacs will remain on administrative leave until Friday.
La Venia also said an EEOC complaint was filed and a formal investigation of that complaint is under way by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. La Venia said he cannot comment on the EEOC allegation.
The city will also review the issue, La Venia said. No criminal charges are anticipated, he added.
In 2013, former City Commissioner Jim Richardson sued the city, alleging several incidents of official misconduct, including Isaacs’ participation in a public demonstration only days before Richardson’s hotly contested re-election vote.
The city’s insurance company later settled that suit for $150,000.
Isaacs came under fire again last year when Richardson filed a formal complaint to prompt an investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. FDLE concluded that Isaacs made six statements while under oath that he knew or should have known not to be true.
Those statements—made during depositions concerning the suit by Richardson—were not prosecuted. The state attorney issued a report explaining that the “de minimus” nature of the allegations did not warrant prosecution.
La Venia said Isaac’s resignation is not connected in any way with the previous complaints.
