Independent monitor, citing credible community voices, asks her to rejoin the monitoring team

Ayesha Bell Hardaway, law professor at Case Western Reserve University School of Law

The seventh virtual Cleveland Consent Decree Community Conversation takes place next Wednesday, July 14th from 6:00-7:30 p.m., focusing on Bias-Free Policing and Racial Profiling. The series is co-presented by United Way of Greater Cleveland and NAACP - Cleveland Branch.  

This session should be one of the most exciting, given recent developments in the Monitor’s office, which is charged with overseeing implementation of reforms in the operation of Cleveland’s division of police.

Ayesha Bell Hardaway, a law professor at Case Western Reserve University [CWRU], and who until last month had been deputy monitor overseeing the case, will be one of the panelists at the meeting.

Hardaway, a nationally recognized expert on police behavior and a former assistant county prosecutor, resigned as deputy monitor last month. Her letter of resignation cited pressure from Hassan Aden, the chief monitor appointed by US District Court Judge Solomon Oliver, who is overseeing the implementation of the police reforms.

Aden’s overreach prompted unusually strong backlash from an unlikely combination of black civic organizations, including the Norman S. Minor Bar Association, Black Lives Matter, and the Cleveland NAACP, who coordinated a protest on the steps of Cleveland City Hall and otherwise made known their opposition to Hardaway’s forced departure.

Aden acknowledged the community pressure in a statement released yesterday by his office that cited  the “credible voices” of the community in support of Hardaway and that he had asked her to return as deputy monitor. The statement came a day after a growing coalition of social justice groups called for Judge Oliver to remove Aden from his post.

Aden had sought to reduce Hardaway’s monitoring role based upon concerns he said had been expressed by both the Jackson administration and federal officials. These concerns were raised after Hardaway appeared on a local radio program to discuss the conviction of Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd. Hardaway chose to resign rather than accept a reduced role.

Among those who also expressed support for Hardaway’s professionalism and the critical role she played as the member of the monitoring team most trusted by the community, were CWRU and Bridget Brennan, the acting U.S. attorney.

It is unclear at this time whether and under what terms Hardaway might agree to rejoin the monitoring team.

Other panelists scheduled to participate in next week’s session include Calvin Williams, Chief of Police, City of Cleveland; Karrie Howard, Director, Department of Public Safety, City of Cleveland; Rick DeChant, Executive Director, Cleveland Police Foundation (CPF); Brian Maxey, Deputy Monitor, Cleveland Police Monitoring Team; Vincent Montague, President, Black Shield Police Association; and David Lima, Leadership Team, Show Up for Racial Justice (SURJ).

Russ Mitchell, 3News Anchor & Managing Editor, WKYC news anchor and managing editor, will serve as moderator.

A livestream will be available on the City Club of Cleveland’s YouTube channel, which can be accesse clicking here. A replay will also be available immediately after the session concludes. Registration is free and open for all to join the conversation at unitedwaycleveland.org.

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