# Texas Officers Sue City



## kwflatbed (Dec 29, 2004)

*JESSICA LANGDON*
_Courtesy of Times Record News_

Eleven law enforcement officers - identified only as John Doe 1 through John Doe 11 - have filed a federal suit against the city of Wichita Falls, claiming the city's employment practices compromised their identities and jeopardized their safety.

The suit describes the plaintiffs as law enforcement officers who work for Wichita Falls, and some of them work undercover in narcotics investigations.

The city allowed people with criminal backgrounds or leanings to work in a variety of departments, providing them access to the plaintiffs' confidential information, including addresses, Social Security numbers, phone numbers, driver's license numbers, pay rates and "other highly sensitive identifying information," the federal complaint describes.

The suit specifically points out a case involving Tiffany Marie Green.

A Wichita County jury sentenced Green, now 24, in November 2005 to five years in prison for a misusing official information conviction, stemming from her temporary employment with the city in November 2004, previous Times Record News articles reported.

Green admitted she took a list with certain officers' personal information from the personnel office.

"Green then furnished and/or sold such information to third parties including drug dealers and others under criminal investigation," the complaint reads.

Bob Gorsky, attorney for the plaintiffs, acknowledged Tuesday that the scope of the lawsuit is wider than that one case.

The complaint, which was filed in U.S. District Court Tuesday, claims that Green "and others with known criminal backgrounds and connections" were able to examine the plaintiffs' records through hard copies and through computer access.

"As a result of the Defendant's conduct, Plaintiffs and their families have been intimidated and harassed," the suit states. It describes compromised law enforcement work and fear for the plaintiffs' personal safety and the safety of their families.

The suit claims that the city had already been notified that people with criminal ties had too easy access to the records, "but the Defendant deliberately refused to take measures to protect such records," the complaint contends.

It claims the city's employment customs - including improper hiring, retention and supervision - deprived the plaintiffs of their federally protected rights. The city was indifferent to adopting policies that would protect the officers, the suit claims.

The complaint seeks monetary damages for what the plaintiffs have suffered and will suffer resulting from the release of information to those who should not have it, Gorsky said.

The City Attorney's Office had not yet been served as of Tuesday afternoon and could not offer comment on a suit attorneys had not yet read.

Crime reporter Jessica Langdon can be reached at (940) 763-7530 or by e-mail at langdonj(at)TimesRecordNews.com. _Republished with permission of Times Record News._


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