New London — The City Council is scheduled to meet behind closed doors Monday to discuss the pending legal issues surrounding suspended Police Chief Margaret Ackley.

The council, as part of an executive session, is expected to discuss a report about Ackley completed by attorney Kathleen Eldergill. Eldergill was hired by the city, at a cost of $20,000, to investigate allegations of misconduct against Ackley.

Mayor Daryl Justin Finizio suspended Ackley in July claiming she interfered with police union business, subverted the collective bargaining process and misrepresented financial information about the department, among other allegations.

Ackley has denied the claims. Her lawyer, Leon Rosenblatt, claims her suspension was politically motivated and done in retaliation for her lawsuit against the city.

Lawyers for Ackley, the city, Finizio and attorney Brian Estep city have met in at least one closed door mediation session in an effort to settle Ackley’s pending lawsuit.

She claims that the city reneged on a signed contract in 2011 that kept her from retiring along with paying her accrued compensatory time payments and $25,000 to settle harassment claims against a former City Council member.

That suit has been pending since June of 2013. As part of the suit, Ackley filed a request for an injunction in July asking a judge to block Finizio from interfering in her duties as chief. She claimed she was sidelined from the decision making process.

Finizio suspended Ackley a day after the injunction request was filed.

Londregan says the investigation being conducted by Eldergill is tied to pending litigation and therefore part of the executive session. He said it would be up to the City Council whether or not to release the report to the public.

Rosenblatt declined comment on the status of settlement talks, but when asked if Ackley would still want to remain as police chief in New London, he said the answer was “yes and no.”

“She was very proud of becoming the chief. She’s totally dedicated to the city and I think everybody should be especially proud she is one of a very few female chiefs in Connecticut,” Rosenblatt said in a recent interview. “On the other hand she has been so blindsided and second-guessed and undermined by the mayor, I strongly doubt she would want to be chief under those circumstances.”

Rosenblatt said Ackley “wants to be made whole.”

“That can happen in open of two ways,” he said, “being put back in her position and being paid money she is owed or retiring with the money she is owed and the means to go forward with a new career.”

“It would be hard for her to continue in the field of police work,” Rosenblatt said.

He said it is common for a police chief to retire and move to another department.

"In Chief Ackley’s case her reputation has been destroyed at least for now,” Rosenblatt said. “She not likely to work as a chief again.”

g.smith@theday.com

Twitter: @SmittyDay