Washtenaw County sheriff suing commissioners over HR department takeover
Washtenaw County Sheriff Alyshia Dyer filed a lawsuit to stop the County Board of Commissioners, alleging an "unconstitutional takeover" of the sheriff's office.
Dyer filed the lawsuit on Tuesday in the 22nd Judicial Circuit Court, seeking an injunction to halt the enforcement of a resolution to transfer four human resources-related positions from the sheriff's office to the county administration. The resolution, adopted by commissioners on Dec. 3, wants to move the "decision-making" positions "to ensure consistent personnel administration and support all sheriff's office employees."
The resolution received an 8-1 vote.
However, Dyer's attorney, Robert Burton-Harris, says the resolution follows a pattern of commissioners repeatedly undermining deputies and staff while politicizing what they see as critical law enforcement matters since Dyer took office in early 2025.
"She being the sheriff has to have an overseer inside her office to basically act as a go between, between the county and her office to make sure that what they perceive to be best practices for HR decisions are being made by the sheriff, which I think is even more of an egregious attempt to usurp her authority because they don't agree with the decisions that she's made," said Burton-Harris.
Dyer issued a statement in a news release that reads in part, "I was elected by the people of Washtenaw County to run the Sheriff's Office. The People are my boss-not the County Board Chair, not any individual commissioner, and not the County Administrator."
The county's attorney says they do not comment on pending legal matters.