A former Tennessee police officer who was fired amid revelations of casual sex between sworn personnel, often on duty, alleged in a federal lawsuit that she was subjected to «sexual grooming» on the job.
Maegan Hall, who admitted to investigators that he engaged in sexual relations with four officers, two of whom were his superiors, filed the lawsuit Monday in US District Court in Nashville.
He names the town of La Vergne, former Police Chief Burrel «Chip» Davis, and former Sgts. Lewis Powell and Henry «Ty» McGowan. The lawsuit alleges that the defendants deprived Hall of due process and violated federal law against sharing intimate images online and between states.
La Vergne Mayor Jason Cole launched an internal investigation in December after learning that Hall had been «intimate» with other members of the department, according to an external investigation commissioned by the city. She told her superiors about the encounters at the time, according to an external investigation by a law firm.
The sexual activity is alleged to have included a hot tub party on a houseboat attended by at least three other officers and the sharing of nude photos of Hall and other officers, according to the investigation, the findings of which were included in the lawsuit.
Some of the other encounters took place on city property, that investigation found.
Hall, Powell, McGowan and two other officers were fired at the end of December and three others were suspended.
Davis was fired in early February after an outside investigation concluded he knew what was happening but failed to discipline officers, the city said in a statement at the time.
The lawsuit alleged that Davis attempted to have sex with Hall and discussed plans to have sex with her with one of his superiors in text messages.
“During her employment, Ms. Hall was groomed to engage in sexually exploitative activities by men in the department, including Sgt. Powell, Sgt. McGowan and Chief Davis,» the lawsuit alleged.
The lawsuit argued that Hall was misled and ultimately harmed, both by the intimate interactions and her subsequent firing, because her work environment was charged with sexual content.
“Since the beginning of her employment, Ms. Hall experienced a work environment permeated with sexual advances and sexually explicit behavior,” the filing says.
The document lists a number of other alleged incidents that contributed to what it described as a «sexually coercive environment,» which it said affected Hall’s mental health.
The lawsuit alleges that male colleagues discussed the attractiveness of women and exchanged stories about their intimate experiences, that an officer told Hall’s superior that he wanted to have sex with her, and that two officers exchanged photos of their genitals in her presence.
A superior, who is not listed as a defendant, said he wanted to see all of Hall’s tattoos, including those covered by clothing, and asked to meet her off-duty, the lawsuit alleges.
Efforts to contact Davis, Powell, and McGowan were unsuccessful.
Attorney Wesley Clark, who filed the lawsuit on Hall’s behalf, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
A representative for the police union, the Fraternal Order of Police, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday. The union said in early February that no additional statements would be filed.
The suit does not specify the name of the damages sought, but says it is ultimately seeking lost wages and medical expenses, as well as compensation for sharing her nude photos, and for emotional distress, mental suffering and «loss of enjoyment of life.»
After the boss was fired in February, Cole, the mayor, lamented the scandal.
“There are no words to describe the disappointment and frustration felt by myself and other city leaders,” he said at the time, according to Nashville’s WSMV NBC affiliate. “Officers are held to a higher standard; even more so is your boss.”