Letter to the Mayor
This document is a three-page letter from Officer Lucas Ciciora to Mayor Paine. It was filed as Exhibit 561 in Mikayla Marie LeRette v. City of Superior, Wisconsin, Case No. 25-CV-183. The letter concerns Investigator Mikayla LeRette, Superior Local 27, the grievance committee, the discipline committee, and the City of Superior’s handling of an internal investigation.
Union Objections
Ciciora states that WPPA Superior Local 27 began the oral discussion phase of the grievance process in September 2024. The grievance followed an internal investigation into LeRette’s work performance before parental and maternity leave. The union concluded that the City misread and misapplied the working agreement.
Discipline and Just Cause
The letter says the union warned the City that disciplining LeRette outside Wisconsin Statute § 62.13(5) was unlawful. It also claims the investigation by police administrators and Daniel Hardman failed the seven tests of just cause. Ciciora says the investigation ignored alternative work-hour rules for narcotics investigators under Article 8 of the collective bargaining agreement.
Bad Faith Allegations
Ciciora uses unusually direct language. He writes that neither he nor LeRette trusts HR Director Cammi Janigo, City Attorney Harley “Frog” Prell, former Assistant Chief John Kiel, Captain Jeffery Harriman, or Daniel Hardman to provide accurate or objective information. He accuses them of bad faith, deception, and being untrustworthy.
What the Union Wanted
The letter asks Mayor Paine to either help return the grievance to Step 1 with Chief Winterscheidt and union leadership, or let the union move the full grievance to the Human Resources Committee under Step 2. Ciciora also asks, at minimum, for communication to District Attorney Mark Fruehauf if the mayor agrees with LeRette’s position.
Why Taxpayers Should Care
This letter reads like a flare fired inside City Hall. It claims the police discipline process broke down, then spread distrust through the department. It also warns that morale suffered because the City’s handling brought criticism on the department. The union demanded placement of the issue with either the Chief of Police or the Human Resources Committee by June 9, 2025.
