State auditor looking into Charlotte settlement with new police chief’s husband
The North Carolina State Auditor’s office is looking into the legal settlement paid by the city of Charlotte to a former fire battalion chief — the husband of CMPD’s new police Chief Estella Patterson.
State Auditor Dave Boliek said on social media site X that his office is looking into the settlement, which was paid to Lance Patterson following a racial discrimination lawsuit that the city of Charlotte fought for seven years. Boliek said his office would release a report.
“We started this engagement to bring transparency to the people of Charlotte, and shed light on how their government operates and spends tax dollars,” Boliek wrote.
The lawsuit, filed in 2018 by Patterson and Sylivia Smith-Phifer, a captain with the Charlotte Fire Department, accused former chief Jon Hannan of discriminating against Black and female employees in promotion decisions.
Each alleged they were denied promotions and other opportunities because of their race. Hannan retired in 2017.
The lawsuit was settled just days before City Manager Marcus Jones named Estella Patterson the new chief of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police. A city spokesperson said last month that the settlement’s timing was unrelated to the announcement of the new chief.
The city refused to provide copies of the settlement to The Charlotte Observer, leaving its details unknown. But a WBT News reporter posted screenshots and details about the settlement on X on Monday.
The city paid $99,999 to settle the lawsuit, according to the screenshots. Patterson received $40,000 of that, while his lawyers received the rest.
Boliek previously investigated the controversial and secret settlement paid out by the city to outgoing police chief Johnny Jennings, who had threatened to sue the city because he was upset that a member of the City Council had publicly attacked him. Boliek’s investigation didn’t find any anything wrong with the $305,000 settlement paid to Jennings, but included recommendations for the city “in order to promote full transparency with the public.”
This is a developing story.
Observer staff writer Amber Gaudet contributed.
This story was originally published December 2, 2025 at 12:59 PM.
