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El Paso County says it’s not liable for damages sought in lawsuit by Sheriff’s Office employees

Today’s post was shared by The Workers’ Injury Law & Advocacy Group and comes from gazette.com

El Paso County says it sought to protect Sheriff’s Office employees when allegations surfaced of hostile behavior by former Sheriff Terry Maketa and former Undersheriff Paula Presley and it should not have to pay damages sought by five employees who have filed a lawsuit.

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The federal lawsuit was filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Denver. It was brought by Lt. Cheryl Peck, Sgt. Rob Stone and three commanders who were put on administrative leave by Maketa hours after they filed an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission complaint in May 2014. Cmdrs. Rodney Gehrett and Rob King and now-Chief Mitch Lincoln had alleged that Maketa was a hostile boss who ran an office rampant with sexual favoritism and discrimination.

-Employees seek damages for ‘evil,’ ‘outrageous’ behavior by former El Paso County sheriff Terry Maketa-

The El Paso County Commission also was named as a defendant in the suit and by law is required to defend Maketa and Presley for actions related to their positions as county employees.

It does not have to defend them in their individual capacity, a separate claim in the lawsuit seeking damages because they engaged in “extreme and outrageous conduct recklessly or with the intent of causing the plaintiffs’ severe emotional distress,” the suit says.

In their official capacities, as employees of the county, the two are accused of stealing an Internal Affairs file on Sheriff Bill Elder, then a contender for the…

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