Former Verona officer's lawsuit still dragging

William Moore, Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, Tupelo
·5 min read

May 27—TUPELO — A former Verona police officer has been waiting four years for the Lee County town to resolve her sexual harassment lawsuit and a separate workers' compensation claim.

Stephanie Goree Moffett filed an federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission claim in late 2016, alleging that former Verona Police Chief J.B. Long sexually harassed her. She said the city tried to settle the ensuing federal lawsuit by offering her just $1,000.

Moffett was attacked by a suspect in February 2017, leaving her with more than $200,000 in medical bills. She said the city only took care of a little more than $13,000 before they stopped paying three years ago.

"I just want to know why it is taking so long," Moffett said. "It's been four years (on the harassment lawsuit). And a workers comp case should be resolved within 17 months. My case has been going on more than twice that long."

The delays are likely the result of multiple factors, most notably the unusual nature of the cases. Moffett had two cases going at the same time, one in the federal courts and one with the state. Both cases were against the city of Verona. Further tying the cases together was the fact that Verona's liability insurance and workers' compensation insurance were both handled by Mississippi Municipal Services Company.

"They are actually handled by two separate (insurance) agencies, but they are under one umbrella," said Verona city attorney Gary Carnathan.

Because of the unusual circumstances, the attorneys representing the insurance carriers tried to tie the negotiations together into a "global settlement."

"It's not that common, but she fell into the category where she had claims in both," Carnathan said. "Trying to globally settle makes since, that way you're only dealing with one party."

The insurance company attorneys and Moffett's attorney actually reached a joint settlement in November 2019 and submitted it to the court. Problem was, Moffett didn't know the cases had been joined.

"They did it without my authorization," Moffett said. "The first time I knew anything about the settlement, they wanted me to sign a redacted copy that had me getting $1,000 to resign."

She fired her attorney and got a new one to file a motion to reinstate the case. After months of delays, federal Magistrate David Sanders agreed to reopen the case in September 2020.

Harassment

Moffett first filed an EEOC complaint against Long in 2008 during his 15-month term as interim police chief. She left the department and worked a job away from law enforcement. When Leo Mask was named chief in September 2009, he offered a chance to come back and she withdrew the complaint.

She said Chief Mask ran the department by the book and all forms of harassment stopped, for a while. Mask was re-elected Pontotoc County Sheriff and left Verona in December 2011.

According to the lawsuit, the sexual harassment resumed after Mask's departure. Moffett said both former chief Anthony Anderson and Long harassed her, propositioning her and groping her.

While the city did not independently investigate the allegations or interview officers in the 2008 complaint, there was an investigation "to some extent" in the latter allegations.

Alderwoman Jessie Gilmore, representing Verona, said in a deposition that the board of aldermen took Moffett's complaint and gave it to Long. The board then asked both to come in and bring witnesses.

"I don't recall us talking to him (Long) or the need to talk to the witnesses," Gilmore said. "But they agreed that they could meet our demands or our requests (to work together professionally) and that was that."

The harassment lawsuit is in a holding pattern. The court is currently considering the motion for summary judgment that Verona filed in January. The trial is scheduled to start July 19 and be heard by District Judge Sharion Aycock.

Workers' Comp

Moffett has not worked for the Verona Police Department since Feb. 27, 2017. On that day, she responded to a West 10th Street residence to secure the scene for medics.

When she entered the house, she was attacked by a man who claimed to be high on crack cocaine. He grabbed for her gun, saying he was going to kill everyone in the house.

"He started beating me and kicking me, and we tore up the entertainment center," Moffett said in her deposition. "We tore up the tables and everything,"

She fought him for 11 minutes. At one point, the suspect grabbed her radio and began hitting her head. He then started kicking her neck and head before a Shannon officer and a Lee County deputy arrived to assist her.

Chief Long was on duty at the same time. In his deposition, he said he went home to eat supper and fell asleep. Long lives in the Macedonia community, about 16 miles away from Verona. It took him more than 30 minutes to arrive on the scene.

Moffett suffered three cracked teeth, contusions to the head and a concussion from the attack. She also has fibromyalgia, chronic pain syndrome disease, post traumatic stress disorder and depression. She has accrued more than $200,000 in medical bills. The city of Verona paid $13,881.41.

"They stopped paying in 2018," Moffett said. "There was no justified explanation with the final notice of payment."

When she was able to return to work, she was on light duty as a School Resource Officer at Verona Elementary School.

She proposed a settlement in the workers' compensation case in early May and is waiting for a response.

william.moore@djournal.com

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