VERO BEACH — A 35-year veteran lieutenant with the Vero Beach Police Department has sued the city, claiming he was targeted with unfair discipline and a hostile work environment after he complained about retaliation from the police chief.
Lt. Daniel Cook filed the 24-page lawsuit in Indian River County Circuit Court, alleging the city violated Florida’s whistleblower law by punishing him for speaking up. He is seeking more than $75,000 in damages, along with lost pay and benefits, attorney fees and either reinstatement to his position or equivalent future compensation. Cook has asked for a jury trial.
Cook told city officials in March 2024 that he believed Police Chief David Currey was targeting him and that he felt uncomfortable at work. He said the chief wrongly suspected him of sharing internal department information with outsiders — something Cook denied doing. He reached out to City Manager Monte Falls by text and email but said he never received a reply.
The city’s human resources department opened an internal investigation. It concluded there was no hostile work environment and no retaliation. Cook said the review relied mostly on statements from the people he accused and left out supportive comments from coworkers.
After the investigation ended, the chief opened a separate disciplinary probe accusing Cook of failing to properly report an issue involving another officer. That case ended with a verbal warning, which Cook called unfair and part of an effort to punish him for complaining.
In May 2024, Cook received his annual performance review — the first time in decades he was rated “needs improvement” in several categories. He said the evaluation violated department rules that require supervisors to document problems earlier. Cook pushed back with documents, and the city later removed two of the three negative marks.
In June 2024, Cook received written reprimands and was suspended. He said those steps had nothing to do with his job performance and were meant to send a message after he cooperated with the investigation.
“The discipline hurt his career, harmed his reputation and caused emotional stress,” according to the lawsuit.
The city has not commented publicly on the allegations. On Tuesday, the Vero Beach City Council was scheduled to hold a closed-door meeting with the city attorney to discuss the lawsuit and possible legal strategy. Florida law allows such private sessions when a city faces active litigation, though no votes can be taken. Any decision on settlement or other action would have to come later in an open meeting.
Cook, who has served with the department for 35 years, remains employed but says the events have damaged his standing. The case is pending.
