Ex-police officers settle harassment lawsuit with city, police chief for $200,000

CASPER, Wyo. — Two former Casper police detectives will receive a $200,000 settlement in a federal civil lawsuit in which they claimed Police Chief Keith McPheeters allowed a hostile work environment to flourish due to conduct by another investigator.

Former detectives Shannon Daley and Keri Patrick filed the lawsuit in Wyoming U.S. District Court in October 2022, claiming damages including emotional distress, pain and suffering and mental anguish resulting from sexual harassment, operational misconduct and retaliatory behavior by former Detective Chase Nash.

The City of Casper was also named as a defendant. The Wyoming Association of Risk Management is footing the settlement bill, including $75,000 on behalf of McPheeters, according to the agreement reached last summer and provided to Oil City News on Tuesday.

Daley and Patrick acknowledge that the liability of the defendants remains disputed by McPheeters and the city, according to the settlement.

Speaking to Oil City News during the course of the case, Nash also denied the allegations, adding that the internal investigations against him surfaced after he made a complaint to a sergeant against one of the plaintiffs.

When asked about her response to the two-year legal ordeal, Daley told Oil City News, “I can only say that it’s been resolved. I’m very proud of my career with the Casper PD and I look forward to my future.”

The suit alleged McPheeters remained indifferent to Nash’s alleged conduct despite corroboration by personnel from within the department and in partner agencies, as well as the recommendations of two internal investigations.

Nash, Daley and Patrick had all worked together since Patrick joined the investigations division in 2020, the complaint said.

In spring 2021, Internal Investigations began looking into sexual harassment claims against Nash. The claims alleged Nash would make comments about his sexual prowess and direct sexually charged inquiries to officers within the department and to personnel in partner agencies such as the Department of Family Services, the Child Advocacy Project and Victims Services.

Although the complaint said it was Nash’s male colleagues who, while discussing the alleged conduct in April 2021, precipitated the investigation, Nash allegedly retaliated against Daley and Patrick specifically, believing they were responsible for the investigation.

The complaint alleged Nash undermined operational integrity by disregarding agreed-upon investigation strategies and information provided by Daley and Patrick at briefings. They say he also lodged frivolous internal complaints against them.

During one investigation, the plaintiffs said Nash “showed up late to the briefing, refused to acknowledge information provided by the two women, pretended that he did not hear them, and repeatedly asked for information and explanation to be repeated by the male detective and sergeant who were present.” Nash was also accused of not wearing a body camera and inaccurately documenting incidents.

A second investigation was undertaken by an attorney hired by the City of Casper in September 2021. That investigation found corroboration of the allegations among Daley’s and Patrick’s superiors and others, the complaint said.

Nash went on paid administrative leave in January 2022 until his official retirement in June, the complaint said. He said a medical condition effectively forced his retirement.

Nash said that both internal investigations came to nothing due to lack of evidence, and that McPheeters supported him. “These allegations were never real,” he said.

He denied making comments about penis size or sex drive to fellow investigators. He said it was Daley who was known in the department for making “egregious and pervasive” sexual comments. In one instance, Nash said some of those comments targeted him. He said he finally made an internal complaint, after he which the first internal investigation against him was raised.

Nash’s former colleague, Justin Hatcher, who left the Casper Police Department in October 2021, confirmed Nash’s narrative to Oil City News on Tuesday. Speaking about comments made by Daley, Hatcher said, “If I said half those things, I would have been fired.”

He said there seemed to be an “in-crowd” on the department. “It sucked the morale out of some us,” he said. “It was not a meritocracy.”

Hatcher said he told the city’s human resources department in his exit interview that he believed a double-standard was at play.

Nash said he harbored no ill will toward Daley, Patrick or the police department.