La Vergne Tennessee Police Department Sex Scandal (2022)
Overview
The Mayor of La Vergne, Tennessee received a tip that La Vergne Tennessee Police Department Patrol Officer Maegan Hall was having sex with other officers without disclosing the relationships as required by policy.[1]
On December 12, 2022, the Mayor relayed the information to the town's Human Resources department.[2]
On December 13, 2022, Sergeant Lewis Powell was interviewed and initially denied having sexual encounters with Hall and named two other officers who did. Powell was placed on paid administrative leave.[2]
On December 13, 2022, Patrol Officer Patrick Magliocco was interviewed and named one officer who had a sexual encounter with Hall. Magliocco reported that Hall unloaded her weapon and dry fired the gun at her head "so she could hear what it sounded like". Magliocco admitted to receiving explicit pictures from Hall.[2]
On December 14, 2022, Sergeant Henry Ty McGowan met with the investigator outside of the police station and identified one officer with whom Hall had a sexual encounter. McGowan admitted to receiving explicit images and videos from Hall.[2]
On December 14, 2022, Patrol and K-9 Officer Larry Holladay was interviewed and denied knowing of any intimate relationships in the department. Holladay later admitted to having multiple sexual encounters with Hall and claimed that he was "thinking about others, and not himself" in his earlier answer.[2]
On December 16, 2022, Hall was interviewed and admitted to having a sexual encounter with one officer, while denying encounters with two others. Hall admitted to sending nude images to several officers.
On December 16, 2022, Powell was returned to active duty.[2]
On December 19, 2022, Hall contacted the investigator to "come clean" and admitted to having a sexual encounter with a second officer.[2]
On December 19, 2022, Patrol Officer Gavin Schoeberl was interviewed and confirmed that he had received explicit images and videos from Hall and had shared an explicit image of himself with Hall and another officer.[2]
On December 20, 2022, Patrol Officer Juan Lugo-Perez was interviewed and denied receiving explicit images of other officers. As evidence was presented, Lugo-Perez admitted to sending and receiving explicit images.[2]
On December 20, 2022, Magliocco was interviewed again and told investigators that he had discussed the investigation with Hall and that they had a sexual encounter.[2]
On December 21, 2022, Hall was interviewed again and confirmed information received from other officers that she had sexual encounters with four officers and had discussed the investigation with Powell.[2]
On December 22, 2022, Powell was interviewed again and denied having a sexual encounter with Hall or discussing the investigation with her. As evidence was presented, Powell admitted to having a sexual encounter with Hall at the police station while on duty and meeting Hall to discuss the investigation. Powell was placed on paid administrative leave.[2]
On December 22, 2022, Lugo-Perez was interviewed again and denied having a sexual encounter with Hall. As evidence was presented, Lugo-Perez admitted to having a sexual encounter with Hall. Lugo-Perez was placed on paid administrative leave.[2]
On December 22, 2022, McGowan was interviewed again and denied having a sexual encounter with Hall or discussing the investigation with her. McGowan admitted to grabbing the HR employee by the neck. McGowan was placed on paid administrative leave.[2]
On December 27, 2022, Detective Seneca Shields was interviewed and claimed he "never had sex" with Hall. Shields later admitted to having a sexual encounter with Hall at the police station while on duty and to sending and receiving explicit images. Shields was placed on paid administrative leave.[2]
On December 27, 2022, Holladay was interviewed again and provided no additional information.[2]
On December 28, 2022, the city released the results of their internal investigation.[1]
On December 28, 2022, Hall was accused of having unreported sexual relationships with six officers, engaging in sexual activity while on duty, sexual harassment for sending explicit photos and videos to several coworkers, and intimidating with intent to interfere with the investigation. The investigator recommended that Hall be fired for violation of policies regarding sexual activity while on duty, sexual harassment, conduct unbecoming of an officer, and lying during the course of the investigation.[2]
On December 28, 2022, Powell was accused of having an unreported sexual relationship, engaging in sexual activity while on duty, and intimidating with intent to interfere with the investigation. The investigator recommended that Powell be fired for violation of policies regarding sexual activity while on duty, conduct unbecoming of an officer, and lying during the course of the investigation.[2]
On December 28, 2022, Lugo-Perez was accused of having an unreported sexual relationship and sexual harassment for sending explicit photos. The investigator recommended that Lugo-Perez be fired for violation of policies regarding having an unreported sexual relationship, sexual harassment, conduct unbecoming of an officer, and lying during the course of the investigation.[2]
On December 28, 2022, McGowan was accused of sexual harassment, workplace violence, and intimidating with intent to interfere with the investigation. The investigator recommended that McGowan be fired for violation of policies regarding workplace violence, sexual harassment, conduct unbecoming of an officer, and lying during the course of the investigation.[2]
On December 28, 2022, Shields was accused of having an unreported sexual relationship, engaging in sexual activity while on duty, and sexual harassment. The investigator recommended that Shields be fired for violation of policies regarding sexual activity while on duty, sexual harassment, and conduct unbecoming of an officer.[2]
On December 28, 2022, Magliocco was accused of having an unreported sexual relationship. The investigator recommended that Magliocco be suspended for 80 hours for violation of policies regarding having an unreported sexual relationship and sexual harassment.[2]
On December 28, 2022, Holladay was accused of having an unreported sexual relationship and sexual harassment. The investigator recommended that Holladay be suspended for 80 hours for violation of policies regarding having an unreported sexual relationship and sexual harassment.[2]
On December 28, 2022, Schoeberl was accused of sexual harassment. The investigator recommended that Schoeberl be suspended for 40 hours for violation of policies regarding sexual harassment and conduct unbecoming of an officer.[2]
On December 29, 2022, the recommendations were presented to the Mayor, who approved the terminations of Hall, Powell, Lugo-Perez, McGowan, and Shields, and the suspensions of Magliocco, Holladay, and Schoeberl.[2]
In January 2023, the city asked the state's Peace Officer Standard and Training (POST) Commission to decertify Hall, Powell, McGowan, and Lugo-Perez, who lied during the investigation. If decertified, the former officers would be unable to work in law enforcement in the state.[3]
On February 6, 2023, Police Chief Burrel Davis was fired after a "third-party investigator concluded Davis was aware of the sexual misconduct within his department and never reported or disciplined any of the officers involved".[4]
Hall filed a complaint with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) against the city for having a sexually hostile work environment and that officers used their supervisor positions to groom her and then performed sexual acts without her consent.[5]
On March 20, 2024, the city settled Hall's lawsuit for $500,000.[6]
Officers Involved
- Maegan Hall
- Larry Holladay
- Juan Lugo-Perez
- Patrick Magliocco
- Henry Ty McGowan
- Lewis Powell
- Gavin Schoeberl
- Seneca Shields
Public Comments
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Jesse O’Neill, Tennessee cops, including married female officer, fired after repeated wild sex romps, New York Post, 2023-01-09
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 2.19 2.20 2.21 2.22 2.23 2.24 LPD sexual misconduct investigation, La Vergne Department of Human Resources, 2022-12-28
- ↑ Sydney Keller, La Vergne officers involved in sex scandal to be reviewed for decertification, FOX 17, 2023-01-24
- ↑ Chief fired after termination of 5 officers in sex scandal, The Hour, 2023-02-07
- ↑ Brendan Tierney, La Vergne police officer files sexual harassment complaint against city, WBIR, 2023-02-09
- ↑ Brittney Baird, La Vergne settles lawsuit with former officer, WKRN, 2024-03-21
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