Fired McHenry Co. sheriff's deputy wants former boss' job

A fired McHenry County Sheriff's deputy suing the department over claims he lost his job for complaining about racial profiling by his former colleagues now wants the department's top job.

Zane Seipler, of Woodstock, announced Monday he will challenge longtime Sheriff Keith Nygren in next year's Republican party primary, stating "change is long overdue.

"Over the past thirteen years the McHenry County Sheriff's Department has become stagnant and complacent," Seipler, 35, said in a campaign release. "New ideas are needed. New values need to be established. New relationships need to be formed. New leadership is required."

Nygren, who is seeking fourth term as sheriff, noted his own lengthy experience running police agencies and questioned whether Seipler had the credentials to run the sheriff's department.

"This is a big operation that takes someone with experience and qualifications to run, not just someone who utters the word, 'Change,' " Nygren said.

Seipler sued the sheriff and four other high-ranking officials in federal court last year, alleging he repeatedly was passed over for promotion, removed from the department's SWAT team, threatened and ultimately dismissed for accusing other deputies of unlawfully targeting blacks and Hispanics for traffic stops.

Nygren dismissed the accusations, saying the department thoroughly investigated Seipler's claims and found them untrue.

Seipler was fired "for cause" in November, Nygren said. His dismissal came after an investigation into a July 2008 traffic stop in which Seipler, the sheriff said, pulled over a Hispanic man driving without a license and, instead of giving citation, instructed a white female passenger to drive instead then ticketed her for driving without insurance.

The lawsuit, which seeks undisclosed financial damages, is scheduled to appear in court later this week.

Seipler joined the sheriff's department in 2004 after serving four years as a corrections officer for the Cook County Sheriff's Department. He also spent four years as a nuclear power plant operator in the U.S. Navy, according to his Web site.

Along with Nygren and Seipler, Woodstock-based blogger Gus Philpott is running for sheriff as a Green Party candidate.