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Maegan Hall, a former Tennessee police officer who was fired for having sexual relations with multiple male cops, has filed a federal lawsuit claiming that her superiors in the department “sexually groomed” her for the encounters. The suit, filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Nashville, names the city of La Vergne, former Police Chief Burrel “Chip” Davis, and former Sgts. Lewis Powell and Henry “Ty” McGowan as defendants. It alleges that they violated Hall’s due process rights and federal law against sharing intimate images online and across state lines.
The scandal began when La Vergne Mayor Jason Cole launched an internal probe in December after learning of Hall’s “intimate relationships” with other members of the department. According to an outside investigation commissioned by the city, the sexual activity included a hot tub party on a houseboat attended by at least three officers and the sharing of nude photos of Hall and other officers. Some of the encounters even took place on city property.
The suit claims that Davis tried to have sex with Hall and discussed plans to do so with one of her superiors in text messages. It also alleges that Hall was subjected to a “sexually coercive environment,” which included male colleagues discussing the attractiveness of women, an officer telling her superior he wanted to have sex with her, and two officers exchanging photos of their genitals in her presence. A superior asked to see all of Hall’s tattoos, including those covered by clothing, and asked to meet her off-duty.
Hall, Powell, McGowan, and two other officers were fired in late December, and three others were suspended. Davis was fired in early February after an external investigation concluded he knew what was happening but failed to discipline the officers. The suit seeks lost wages and medical expenses, as well as compensation for the sharing of her nude photos and for emotional distress, mental suffering, and “loss of enjoyment of life.” Mayor Cole expressed his disappointment and frustration with the scandal at the time.
In a new federal lawsuit, former Tennessee police officer Maegan Hall has claimed that superiors in her department “sexually groomed” her for sexual encounters with multiple male cops. The suit names the city of La Vergne, former Police Chief Burrel “Chip” Davis, and former Sgts. Lewis Powell and Henry “Ty” McGowan as defendants, alleging that they deprived Hall of due process and violated federal law against sharing intimate images online and across state lines. According to an outside investigation commissioned by the city, the sexual activity included a hot tub party on a houseboat attended by at least three officers and the sharing of nude photos of Hall and other officers. The suit alleges that Davis tried to have sex with Hall and discussed plans to do so with one of her superiors in text messages, as well as a “sexually coercive environment” which affected Hall’s mental health. All four officers were fired in late December, and three others were suspended. Mayor Cole expressed his disappointment and frustration with the scandal at the time. The suit seeks lost wages and medical expenses, as well as compensation for the sharing of her nude photos and for emotional distress, mental suffering, and “loss of enjoyment of life.”
