Sheila Stogsdill, World Correspondent, Tulsa World (Oklahoma)

JAY – The Delaware County dispatch office is accused in two former dispatchers’ lawsuits of being a playground for various sexual activities, including displaying on county computers photographs of a dispatcher wearing only thong underwear. Shelby Haggard, a former 911 dispatch supervisor and Joey Lambert, a former 911 dispatcher, filed a federal civil rights lawsuit in May 2009 against the Delaware County commissioners and the Delaware County E911 Trust Authority, alleging sexual harassment and retaliation, according to court records. Jodi Casey, an attorney with the Oklahoma City law firm of Collins, Zorn & Wagner, who is handling the county civil rights lawsuit, was not available for comment. Commissioner Billy Cornell, the only current board member who was in office at the time of the allegations, declined comment on the lawsuits on advice of Casey.

Earlier this month, the county settled a $13.5 million federal civil rights lawsuit in which 15 former inmates said they were raped and sexually assaulted in the county jail by a volunteer deputy and jailers. The women accused former Sheriff Jay Blackfox of ignoring their complaints. Volunteer Deputy Bill Sanders Sr. and jail administrator Lonnie Hunter were at the center of most of the sexual allegations. Hunter was dismissed from the Sheriff’s Office earlier this month. Sanders was also dismissed from the Sheriff’s Office and died in November 2008. Blackfox is not accused of any sexual misconduct and has denied covering up any wrongdoing. Lambert declined to be interviewed for this story on the advice of her attorney, Steven Terrill.

“We are still in the early stages of the lawsuit and are coordinating schedules to get depositions scheduled,” Terrill said. Lambert went through the appropriate channels and notified her supervisor, Haggard, and Blackfox of the alleged improper conduct. But it appears Lambert’s claims were not addressed, he said.

In her 16-page lawsuit, Lambert alleges that a female dispatcher was having sex with a deputy in the jail and there were other inappropriate sexual behaviors, such as sexually suggestive text messages that were constantly shown to Lambert. A “thong” song was played in the dispatch office after another dispatcher showed photographs of herself on a county computer wearing only thong underwear. The dispatcher would also bring her boyfriend into the dispatcher’s office where they were allegedly observed to kiss and grope each other while the dispatcher was on duty, the suit states. Lambert repeatedly reported the misconduct to one of the sheriff’s deputies, the suit states. The coworkers then would punish Lambert by leaving her in the dispatch center to answer the calls alone, the complaint states.

According to Lambert’s complaint, Don Murphy, who was in charge of the 911 dispatchers and the 911 office, also made sexual advances toward her, including hugging her and attempting to kiss her. Murphy also allegedly made comments to Lambert telling her she needed an “older sugar daddy to take care of her,” the complaint states. Murphy also obtained a loan for Lambert for medical purposes. Lambert felt Murphy wanted more than “monetary repayment for the loan,” the suit states.

In Haggard’s complaint, she alleges she received sexual complaints about Murphy from Lambert and another dispatcher.

When contacted about the allegations, Murphy said, “I’m under a federal gag order and can’t talk about it.” When asked when the gag order was issued, Murphy said he didn’t know. No federal gag order was implemented, court records show.

Lambert began missing work due to stress which was related to the sexual harassment environment she was working in, she alleges. When she did return to work she was not given her normal schedule and her hours were cut. Lambert said these actions were done against her in retaliation for filing the sexual lawsuit claim, the complaint states. She no longer works for the Delaware County E911 Trust Authority, the complaint states.

Haggard said she went through the correct channels to report the allegations by giving written reports of Lambert’s complaints to the former sheriff, Blackfox, and county commissioners. Murphy was placed on one-week paid administrative leave on Feb. 11, 2008, while investigators checked out the sexual harassment claims. But later Haggard said she found herself the target of Murphy’s anger after she reported the allegations. The suit alleges that Haggard refused to cover up Murphy’s paying Lambert and another dispatcher for being at work when they weren’t. Murphy instructed Haggard to shred the women’s time sheets and later falsified time sheets for the women, the suit claims.

When confronted about the time sheets, Murphy donated his personal time to cover the time not worked by the dispatchers, the suit states. Haggard was demoted and subsequently fired. She said she is very angry that Murphy remains employed with the county. “I’m mad at the way I was treated then and I’m mad at the way I am still being treated,” Haggard said.

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