A candidate for Wyandotte County sheriff acknowledges in a lawsuit she has filed that she didn’t live in the county last year when she was serving as a sheriff’s deputy, contrary to the county’s residency requirement.
Celisha Towers alleges in the suit filed Oct. 23 in federal court in Kansas City, Kan., that she was discriminated against when she was fired in July 2016.
The suit says she was fired because she was not living in Wyandotte County. She lists a current address in Wyandotte County on the lawsuit.
Towers is also suing the Fraternal Order of Police in Wyandotte County, which she alleges did not represent her when she challenged her firing.
Towers, who is black, alleges in the suit that she was discriminated against because she knows of three deputies, who are white, who live outside of the county.
Wyandotte County Sheriff Don Ash said he could not comment on pending litigation.
According to the suit, Towers was hired as a deputy in 2013. She said that she moved back to Kansas in May 2016 after taking an approved 12-month educational leave of absence.
In an interview Wednesday with The Star, Towers said she was exempt from department policies while on leave until Sept 2016, but returned early due to staffing issues.
“The leave was approved for 12 months, but I was retuning early to help them out,” Towers said.
Because she was on financial aid, Towers moved to a residence in Overland Park due to lack of income proof to get a residence in Wyandotte County. She asked department officials for an extension to try to satisfy residency requirements, but claims she was never given the chance.
“Basically, I was fired on my day off,” Towers said.
Although she was not a dues-paying member of the FOP, Towers said she had a right to be represented by the union under a collective bargaining agreement.
Max A. Sybrant II, president of Wyandotte County F.O.P. Lodge No. 40, said in a statement to The Star the FOP filed a grievance on Towers’ behalf and devoted substantial resources in its efforts to represent her.
“Ms. Towers refused to cooperate with the Lodge’s investigation,” Sybrant said in the statement. “After completing a thorough investigation, the Lodge determined that the evidence demonstrated that Ms. Towers was in violation of the residency ordinance and that there was just cause for Ms. Towers’ termination.”
Towers said the FOP tried to get her to accept a settlement that stipulated she would not file a lawsuit against the department and would no longer seek employment in the Unified Government of Wyandotte County.
“This is the FOP saying they wanted to represent me,” she said. “But, they were not representing me.”
Sybrant said the statements Towers has made through her lawsuit are inaccurate.
“The Lodge has successfully represented numerous members over the years in disciplinary grievances,” he said. “The Lodge is confident that the court’s decision in this matter will demonstrate the Lodge fairly represents its members.”
Towers filed the suit without an attorney and is asking for back pay and an additional $2 million in damages. She said she sought ligation to shed light on what she called dubious discrimination practices within the department.
“What I would like to happen is for deputies that are going through biased treatment, that you stand up and take a stand that we will not just accept the treatment,” she said. “Stand up to the system and show strength and be that voice for those that are afraid to speak up.”
http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article182111546.html
