A year ago several current and former Benton County sheriff’s deputies were prepared to sue the county for millions, but ended up putting the lawsuit on pause while an election was held to oust their tormentor.
Now, with their former boss Jerry Hatcher recalled from office, they’ve filed suit and are demanding millions for what they described as the county’s failure to protect them from Hatcher after they complained.
They claim Hatcher violated their First Amendment rights, engaged in extreme and outrageous conduct including invasion of their privacy, retaliation and defamation, and created a hostile work environment.
The lawsuit, filed in the Walla Walla County Superior Court last week, does not ask for specific damages but the original tort claim was for $22 million.
All but one of the original tort claim filers has joined the current suit. The other officer is now the sheriff.
Attorney Ronald Leighton told the Tri-City Herald that Sheriff Tom Croskrey still believes in the merits of the lawsuit, but felt it was in the public’s best interest not to join it now that he has been appointed to the office.
Leighton said Croskrey knows he could potentially be sacrificing a significant amount of money but he’s focused on the job.
Leighton is a Tacoma-based attorney and retired Federal District Court judge.
The plaintiffs are Undersheriff Jon Law; Commander Mat Clarke; Lt. Jason Erickson; Lt. Erik Magnuson; now-retired Commander Steve Caughey; and former Detective Todd Carlson....
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