Former sgt. alleges harassment at jail
Published 1:20 pm Wednesday, October 5, 2016
A former sergeant at the Clark County Detention Center claims she was harassed routinely by two superior officers, including having a Taser pointed at her.
Ashley Wise, of Frankfort, had worked at the jail for 10 months, according to a letter from her attorney to Clark County Jailer Frank Doyle. The letter claims Wise was routinely harassed by two captains, who allegedly made “grotesque sexual suggestions” and asked her to “take sexually suggestive pictures.”
Wise claims the two captains also threatened her job and escorted her from the facility Sept. 13, telling her she was fired.
“Collectively, this behavior has created a work environment that is beyond hostile and is better described as toxic,” Wise’s attorney Jud Patterson wrote in the letter.
Clark County Jailer Frank Doyle declined to comment, citing an ongoing investigation. He said Wise was terminated because of an unrelated issue.
Wise filed a menacing complaint with the Winchester Police Department Sept. 22. In the report, Wise said one of her supervisors pointed a Taser at her face three times. Wise said she had spoken with Doyle and Chief Deputy Jailer Justin Crockett on several occasions, but the situation had not changed. Wise said she was still being “harassed and talked down to” by both supervisors in front of other witnesses.
A letter from Clark County Attorney Brian Thomas dated Sept. 29 said Wise’s complaint and incident report were reviewed, but two of her three listed witnesses could not verify her account. Thomas said his office was declining to prosecute the case as presented. No charges have been filed.
Contact Fred Petke at fred.petke@winchestersun.com.