Independence settles sexual assault lawsuit against police chief for $100,000
Editor’s note: This story contains graphic descriptions of allegations.
The City of Independence settled a lawsuit accusing its police chief of sexual harassment and assault for $100,000, according to records obtained by The Star.
The settlement, the record says, releases Chief Brad Halsey and all past, present and future agents of the City of Independence from further liability claims or demands relating to the suit that was filed in 2018. The agreement, the settlement said, is not an admission of liability by the city.
The settlement was paid in November by the Missouri Public Entity Risk Management Fund.
The city and the plaintiff’s attorney each declined to comment on the settlement.
The Independence Police Department did not respond to The Star’s request for comment.
The suit was filed in Jackson County Circuit Court on behalf of a former analyst for the Independence Police Department who said she resigned after “repeated instances of sexually charged and abusive behavior” involving a police major, a civilian employee and Halsey, who was a deputy chief at the time.
The suit said Halsey regularly sent the woman sexually explicit text messages asking her to send him photos of her breasts and swimsuit. The suit described similar instances of inappropriate conduct from two other department employees.
The Star generally does not name possible victims of sexual harassment without their permission.
The woman, the suit said, ultimately resigned after a May 2013 incident when Halsey allegedly asked the woman to adjust his tie before placing his hands on her buttocks and pulling her into his erect penis. When she fled, the suit said, she came to her desk and asked if his pants were too tight.
When she looked up, the suit said, she saw that he had an erection.
This story was originally published July 1, 2020 at 4:07 PM.
