[Last updated on September 17, 2016, at 2:58 p.m.]
Ocala, Florida — Multiple sexual harassment complaints have been filed against Ocala Chief of Police Kenneth Gregory Graham.
The Formal Grievance was filed on September 15, 2016.
The Grievance states, “Simultaneous to the filing of this grievance, an EEOC complaint was also filed.”
In the Grievance filed by the Law Office of Bobi J. Frank, PA, it alleges that two female Ocala police officers, Rachel Mangum, and Casey Walsh, suffered unwelcome sexual advances and unwelcome verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature caused by Chief Graham. Officer Tony J. Watts is also a plaintiff in the complaint.
Additionally, the Grievance outlines the abuse of power toward male and female officers who would not conform to Chief Graham’s ideologies, as well as protecting officers who abused their power. The Grievance is based on events involving Sexual Harassment, Hostile Treatment, Retaliation, and Discrimination.
The complaint states, “Arguably, one of the most abusive incidents occurred while several OPD Officers traveled to participate in the National Law Enforcement Memorial in Washington, DC. The incident occurred on May 14, 2016.”
In one of the allegations, Chief Graham allegedly put another female officer’s head into his lap.
There were also multiple witnesses to the incident(s), which occurred on and off duty.
Timeline of events as stated in the complaint
May 14, 2016, abuse to Officer Casey Walsh:
“While attending the National Law Enforcement Memorial in Washington, DC a small group of officers went to a bar during evening hours. Chief Graham joined the group and consumed alcohol with his subordinates. During the course of the evening, his behavior became increasingly inappropriate.
At one point, Officer Walsh left the group to use the ladies room. There were two bathrooms, at the establishment, right next to each other. Chief Graham was exiting one as Officer Walsh was entering the vacant one. Officer Walsh, while opening the door to the bathroom, noticed that there was a urinal and a toilet in the room and under her breath made a joke about both. Chief Graham responded by saying that they could use the same room together and further joked that Officer Walsh could use the urinal and he could use the toilet. He made comments about their sexual roles being reversed and that Officer Walsh could stand while Chief Graham while seated.
The group eventually left that establishment and traveled by subway to another pub/brewery. While on the subway, Chief Graham engaged in conversation with several officers about sexual encounters and jokes about the size of Officer Walsh’s penis and how it was probably larger than most males present there.
When the group reached the next location, and continued drinking, Chief Graham engaged in a game with his subordinates called “never have I ever.” In this game, participants give scenarios in which they have or have not been involved. Chief Graham made statements about “getting f***ed in the a*s,” and “s***ing d**k” while playing the game. He also stated that he wanted to know who had “the best tits at the table.” He directed some of these questions to He directed some of these questions to Officer Casey Walsh, Officer Rachel Mangum, Sgt. Casey Eades, and Officer Ashley Stinehour.
At one point, Officer Walsh’s girlfriend called her cell phone. Chief Graham took Officer Walsh’s phone from her hands and began speaking to her girlfriend. Officer Walsh’s girlfriend told her that Chief Graham asked why she wasn’t present and continued to question what she was doing that night, where she was going and when she would be home. Officer Walsh’s girlfriend expressed to her that she never wanted to speak with Chief Graham “like that again” and that she felt that the fact that he even wanted to talk to her at all was highly inappropriate.
Over the course of the last year, Officer Walsh has had to endure countless attacks of sexual harassment from Chief K. Gregory Graham. Chief Graham is aware of Officer Walsh’s open homosexuality, and almost always intertwines that subject into the conversations that he has with her. It has become commonplace for Chief Graham to make inappropriate comments about the women that Officer Walsh has dated, and has invited as her guest to Ocala Police Department functions. Chief Graham routinely comments on their attractiveness, and inquirers about how she is able to find and date such beautiful women.
Officer Walsh feels as though each time she comes into contact with Chief Graham, the topic of their conversation shifts to her relationship, or her sexual preference, in general.”
Specific encounters as stated in complaint
February 1, 2016:
“At a department awards ceremony, Officer Walsh’s girlfriend attended to watch her accept an award. After the presentation, Chief Graham asked Officer Walsh about her date and made a comment to Officer Walsh about her appearance and implied that he would be interested in trading sexual partners with her. He introduced himself to Officer Walsh’s date, and later, the date expressed to Officer Walsh that Chief Graham made her feel uncomfortable by the way he looked at her and spoke to her. A male officer was present during the interaction between Officer Walsh and Chief Graham. Chief Graham had also made a sexually charged comment about seeing Officer Walsh’s date from behind.”
Roughly six months ago:
“Chief Graham made a statement about how he would love it if Officer Walsh dated his daughter, but would be concerned if Officer Walsh came to his home for fear that she would end up in bed with his wife for a sexual encounter.”
May 13, 2016:
“While conducting K9 training at a location close to the Police Department, Chief Graham pulled up to the area and rolled down his window. Officer Walsh was with Sgt. Lisa Bienko and Officer Kyle Howie. After a few minutes of small talk, Chief Graham told Officer Walsh that he had recently seen a photograph of her from the past in which she was wearing her hair down and it was long and dark. He also commented that she was wearing make-up. Officer Walsh responded by questioning what the point was and he replied that he would just leave it at that as to not say anything inappropriate. He made the sound, yum, yum, yum.”
May 19, 2016:
“At the Fallen Officer Memorial ceremony in Ocala, Officer Walsh was approached by Mrs. Graham, the Chief’s wife. Chief Graham walked up to the women during their conversation. Mrs. Graham was expressing interest in doing a ride along with Officer Walsh, but Chief Graham quickly interjected and implied that Officer Walsh would be likely to act in an unprofessional way with Mrs. Graham in her vehicle by engaging in intimate behavior together.”
May 14, 2016, abuse to officer Rachel Mangum:
“In addition to Officer Walsh’s perspective explained above, Officer Mangum suffered additional unwelcome sexual advances and physical and verbal conduct of a sexual nature during the same incident.
Officer Mangum asserts that a drinking game which required one person to ask an inappropriate, mostly sexual in nature question to another participant ensued requiring one person to ask another if they had engaged in the act mentioned in the past. If they had engaged in the act mentioned, they would take a drink of an alcoholic beverage. Officer Mangum left the table to use the restroom. Disturbingly, upon her return to the table, Chief Graham, shouted (it was a crowded bar) “I have something for you…” pointing at Officer Mangum. She responded in a confused manner, and Chief Graham stated, “Never have I ever had a c**k shoved in my a*s!” Officer Mangum was humiliated, disgusted, and offended at the unwelcome, abusive comment. She tried to redirect the conversation so as not to draw attention to herself or the situation at hand.
Again, during the same incident, Officer Mangum also witnessed Chief Graham initiate a conversation in reference to which female Officer sitting at the table had the best looking breasts. At which time, Officer Matthew Sams heard Chief Graham state Officer Mangum had the “nicest tits at the table.”
Also during this time, Chief Graham was continuously bothering Sgt. Casey Eades for her personal cell phone, attempting to unlock the password. They were at times physically sparring; Sgt. Eades in an attempt to keep her cell phone away from Chief Graham, and Chief Graham in an attempt to obtain the phone. During the tussle, Chief Graham kept stating, “let me see your titty pics.” At one point the phone was in Officer Mangum’s possession. Because she was so uncomfortable with the events she quickly put the cell phone on the side of the table where Sgt. Eades was sitting, and stated that she was not getting involved.
Additionally, while all the officers were sitting at the table, Officer Mangum observed Chief Graham take Sgt. Eades by the top of her head, and pull her head onto his lap, in an attempt to simulate the action of performing oral sex on Chief Graham.”
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The report also states that phone records prove that Chief Graham has engaged in inappropriate conduct with female officers, namely Sgt. Casey Eades.
The complaint states, “It is a commonly held belief, for various reasons, that Chief Graham is engaging in sexual relations with his subordinate officer, Sgt. Casey Eades.”
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In the same complaint, Chief Graham is accused of manipulating complaints against officers by purging them out of the system every five years. The complaint states that this is only done for certain officers and that, other officers remain in the system, especially if they are not on Chief Grahams “nice list.”
Additionally, Sgt. Dustin Keuntjes and Chief Graham are accused of being racist.
The complaint states, “It’s a known fact that there is a black side and white side at OPD.”
Sgt. Keuntjes is also accused of endangering Officer Tony J. Watts’ life during a meth lab bust. Watts, who is black, is still recovering from his injuries and may have permanent damage.
Watts has stated that Sgt. Keuntjes has made racial remarks on many occasions and that, Chief Graham overlooks the problem.
According to more than a dozen OPD officers, Sgt. Keuntjes and Chief Graham are close friends.
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This type behavior seems to be commonplace at OPD.
Ocala Post is also investigating Officers Jessica Nasworth and Richard Tuck.
Both of these officers have been accused of meddling in civil matters that are not the concern of law enforcement and allegedly abusing their power as officers during those situations.
According to reports, Officer Nasworth, who has been dubbed the “man hater”, has a habit of trying to coerce women into filing unnecessary injunctions when responding to non-violent domestic calls.
For example, a nosy neighbor called police when a husband and wife were having a verbal argument about their divorce. Knowing the argument was not physical, Officer Nasworth tried, on several occasions, to convince the wife that her husband was dangerous. She did this by making false statements about the husband.
In one case, Officer Nasworth berated the husband. She stuck out her chest and got in his face as if she were trying to antagonize the husband to strike her. The more polite the husband became, the more aggressive Officer Nasworth acted.
During that same situation, Officer Tuck transported the heavily intoxicated female to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office and forced her to file injunction papers. The Sheriff’s Office refused, citing it was only a verbal argument over the phone and that an injunction was not warranted. However, Officer Tuck insisted. Officer Tuck told the female that she did not have a choice in the matter. While intoxicated, he forced her to sign the papers. Two days later, when the judge learned of the circumstances in the case, the injunction was immediately dismissed. The judge stated that signing a legal document while impaired is illegal in all 50 states.
Oddly enough, Officer Tuck was recently promoted to Detective. According to an unnamed source, there were not any open detective positions available at the time of his promotion. The position was allegedly wrongfully created for Officer Tuck.
Earlier this year, Officer Nasworth was investigated after her husband informed Chief Graham that she had been having a sexual affair with several other OPD officers. Although some media outlets reported that she had been demoted, Chief Graham confirmed to Ocala Post that he had “talked” to her about her actions, but she maintained her position within the agency.
Nasworth does however have a suspension on her record after she failed to report an off-duty bar fight.
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Complaint Conclusion
“This document reflects a mere fraction of the incidents that have occurred under Chief Graham’s direction, influence, insistence, and upon his own action. A thorough investigation, conducted by an unbiased, independent third-party will substantiate all of these assertions, and more.
Unfortunately, Chief K. Gregory Graham has decided to wield his position of power to terrorize and abuse women, minorities, and anyone that disagrees with his decisions and orders. At minimum, many good police officers have suffered significant blows to their employee files at the hands of Chief Graham, at worst many have lost the opportunity to be Law Enforcement Officers.
His discriminatory practices must be stopped. Undersigned Counsel can’t imagine a world where the Chief of a Police Department is authorized and supported by his superiors to ask a female “never have I ever had a c**k shoved in my a*s….”; Or allowed to prey on an openly gay female Officer in an attempt to feed his misogynistic, sexually deviant appetite; Or to engage in late night trysts with his subordinates; Or allowed to cause a nine (9) year highly respected Police Officer, never written up prior to his employment with OPD, to be targeted, treated unfairly and all around harassed, bullied, and retaliated against because he is black; Or to be able to use subordinate supervisors to do his bidding creating a clear and distinct divide amongst the Department at large. There is not a world that exists in which those actions would be tolerated. Clearly, Ocala, Florida can’t be any different.”
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Multiple officers stated to Ocala Post that, “unless an officer is good friends with Graham or his supervisor buddies, an honest officer does not stand a chance within the agency.” One officer told Ocala Post that other officers have quit the agency because of the hostile work environment.
City’s response
City of Ocala Mayor Kent Quinn said that an investigation into the allegations has been launched.
The city has obtained an attorney from Tallahassee to handle the case.
The Mayor did not wish to comment about the allegations at this time.
As for Chief Graham, he will remain on active duty while the allegations are investigated.
In an e-mail to Ocala Post, Chief Graham wrote, “I deny the allegations. My position and defense will be presented by my attorney.”
The Law Office of Bobi J. Frank, PA, requested that an independent, third-party be enlisted to conduct the investigation into these matters.
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