Carson City Sheriff sued by former deputy for defamation
Carson City Sheriff Ken Furlong and the city are being sued for $10,000 by a former deputy sheriff who is alleging defamation, invasion of privacy, false light and emotional distress. Download the PDF of the lawsuit here.
The plaintiff, Paula Andrews, was the subject of an internal investigation involving falsifying documents and grand larceny in December 2008. According to the lawsuit, the investigation concluded the allegations were unfounded. Nevertheless, the plaintiff was later "constructively discharged."
The plaintiff alleges that when she applied for various law enforcement jobs in the area, that Furlong said things to her prospective employers that caused them not to hire her.
The lawsuit is confusing on the dates, which could be due to a typographical error. We are awaiting a call from Andrews' attorney regarding the possible date discrepancy.
Sheriff Furlong said that because the case is being adjudicated, he cannot comment. He did say the following: "We run very strict background and hiring practices, and continuously adhere to them."
When asked if the timing of the lawsuit is political in nature, Furlong said: "My campaign for sheriff has been very, very professional and courteous. I will not, even with this document, deviate from this practice."
The Nevada Appeal also has a story about the suit.