Montgomery Chief of Police Darryl J. Albert has been placed on administrative leave for unspecified reasons two months after a former female MPD officer accused Albert of retaliation for refusing his sexual advances.
In March, Renee Helton, a former MPD officer, said she was fired from the MPD after a period of poor treatment for refusing to engage in a sexual relationship with Albert. She claims her termination came months after filing an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) complaint against the MPD.
Helton detailed events in which Albert allegedly propositioned her for a sexual relationship, which she reportedly declined since Albert is married. After the relationship between Marcus and Helton became public, the pair claimed they were subject to retaliation. Helton claims Mayor Steven Reed was made aware of the EEOC complaint on Aug. 4, 2023, and that three uniformed police officers served her termination paperwork at home with a notice signed by Reed on Nov. 29, 2023.
The city announced on Monday that Albert had been placed on administrative leave, saying, "The reason for the leave will be announced when the matter is concluded."
Helton, her attorney, Mickey McDermott, and Marcus Webster, Helton's fiancé, who says he left the MPD in December last year after 18 years, later gave their whole side of the story in an interview on Montgomery radio NewsTalk 93.1's "News & Views."
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