Kansas Troopers Association calls KHP’s termination of two majors retaliatory
Calling this week’s termination of two Kansas Highway Patrol majors retaliatory, the Kansas State Troopers Association said the decision will have a chilling effect on employees’ willingness to make complaints within the agency.
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly on Thursday announced that the highway patrol no longer employs Maj. Scott Harrington and Maj. Josh Kellerman. The announcement came at the same time the governor announced that investigations cleared patrol Superintendent Col. Herman Jones of wrongdoing.
The Troopers Association, in a statement posted to Facebook, said the two “highly respected and decorated Majors” had supported several female employees who filed complaints regarding unwelcomed contact from Jones and an alleged hostile work environment he and others created at KHP headquarters.
“The KHP in terminating these Majors, has attempted to prevent these employees from challenging their unjustified terminations before the Kansas Civil Service Board,” the Troopers Association said in the statement. “This makes it abundantly clear that these terminations are designed to silence these Majors and all future complaints.”
The governor’s office on Friday disputed that the action was retaliatory.
“Under no circumstances were the Majors’ departure related to the investigation,” said Lauren Fitzgerald, the governor’s spokesperson. “These are two separate issues. Additionally, the two majors are ineligible to challenge their departures before the Kansas Civil Service Board because of their rank.”
The governor released a summary of the investigations in an effort to be transparent, but didn’t release the full report to protect the identity of the employees who came forward, she said.
“The Governor recognizes the importance of confidentiality to ensure all employees feel safe to come forward in the event of potential wrongdoing — of the allegation,” Fitzgerald said.
In announcing the leadership changes, the governor’s office said they were made as part of Jones’ efforts to make the highway patrol as effective as possible in achieving its mission.
Capt. Andy Dean, commander of KHP’s Public and Governmental Affairs Unit, said in an email Thursday that Harrington and Keelerman’s performance and leadership was “unsatisfactory and did not meet the standards set by their superiors.”
The highway patrol declined to comment further on Friday, Dean said.
“Colonel Jones stands by the actions carried out although others may have a limited viewpoint of the facts,” he said in an email.
Harrington, who joined the department in 2000 and was promoted to major in 2015, oversaw the patrol’s Central Communications, Motor Vehicle Enforcement Division and Fiscal, Human Resources, Information Technology and Records departments.
Kellerman oversaw Troop A and B, along with Capitol Police and the patrol’s Fleet Operations. He joined the patrol in 2003 and was promoted to major in 2017.
The Troopers Association said that despite public outcry for transparency and change in law enforcement, Thursday’s actions will “effectively quell any possibility of positive change in the Agency.”
“These Majors had the courage to stand up for these oppressed individuals within the Agency who feared that they would be subject to retaliatory action for coming forward,” the association said. “Given what happened today, their fear was well-founded. The KHP and the Governor have made it clear that voicing dissenting opinions will most certainly result in dire consequences for those within the Agency who speak out.”
The internal and independent investigations focused on primarily on complaints against Jones alleging misuse of aircraft, gender discrimination, and sexual harassment, according to the governor’s office. The investigations cleared him of wrongdoing, the governor’s office said.
Regarding investigations into sexual harassment, three employees alleged Jones greeted employees “by slapping their backs, shaking their hands, patting their shoulders, hugging, standing close to the employee, and sometimes making awkward comments that were not of a sexual nature.”
When interviewed, Jones indicated that he didn’t know the physical greetings made employees uncomfortable and would avoid such contact in the future, according to governor’s office.
This story was originally published July 24, 2020 at 1:37 PM.
