Doug Custer says he and other senior deputies were harassed by former Sheriff Mike Sharp and forced to resign.
Doug Custer says he and other senior deputies were harassed by former Sheriff Mike Sharp and forced to resign.
Jackson County will pay $5.3 million to settle a lawsuit brought by a former deputy sheriff who said he was fired because of his age and health.
On Monday, the county council voted to pay the money to Doug Custer, who was fired in December 2015 at the age of 59. He said he and other senior deputies were harassed by former Sheriff Mike Sharp and Deputy Sheriff Hugh Mills and were forced to resign.
Last spring, a jury awarded Castor $7 million. The county filed an appeal but agreed to agree to a lower amount pending an appeal, according to the Kansas City Star.
Custer, who has worked in the sheriff’s office for almost 34 years, said he was also targeted because he twice called in patients to treat his diabetes.
In its response to the lawsuit, the county denied the allegations and said that Custer was fired for breaking the rules.
Sharp resigned in April 2018 after it was revealed he had an ongoing relationship with a sheriff’s office employee while she had a pending harassment lawsuit in Jackson County.
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Post time: Dec-26-2022