Ohio- from www.news.cincinnati.com – A former Lebanon police dispatcher accused the city in a lawsuit Tuesday of reneging on a promise not to tell people she was suspended for possible sexual misconduct on the job.
Rebecca Hughes, 31, said her agreement to resign includes a commitment from city officials to share only the dates of her employment when they are asked about her work with the city.
She said the city’s attorney, Mark Yurick, violated terms of the deal when he discussed with media outlets the accusations of misconduct, which included a claim that she gave oral sex to her boyfriend while on duty. Yurick, who could not be reached, is named as a defendant in the suit.
Hughes denied the accusations in her lawsuit and said she resigned only to prevent them from becoming public.
“Ms. Hughes agreed to resign from a job she loved in order to preserve her reputation and to guarantee confidentiality of the allegations she was being falsely accused of,” the lawsuit states.
Lebanon City Manager Pat Clements said he had not seen the suit and could not comment on it. But he said he believes the city has done nothing wrong.
“To my knowledge, no action was taken by the city that is contrary to the terms of the separation agreement,” Clements said.
The accusations are based on Hughes’ conduct while working a late shift on March 1 at the 911 dispatch center.
Police Sgt. Bob Buchanan said he saw two men go into the police department around midnight, when Hughes’ shift started. He said he heard Hughes talking to the men about her duties and assumed she was giving them a tour.
He said he heard a page over the intercom about an hour later and went looking for Hughes, who was the only dispatcher on duty. He said that’s when he found Hughes’ boyfriend with his pants down.
Hughes was suspended the next day pending a disciplinary hearing, but the hearing was canceled after she agreed to resign.
The lawsuit was filed in Warren County Common Pleas Court by Cincinnati lawyer Randy Freking. It accuses the city of defamation and breach of contract and seeks unspecified damages.
