City has hired Opelika lawyer to help internal inquiry

Dothan’s city manager said the city has hired an Opelika attorney to help in the internal inquiry of a grievance filed against the city attorney and police chief.

City Manager Mike West said the city hired Bob Meadows, who is an attorney who specializes in employment law. West said the city sought help from Meadows because of some of the factors raised in the complaint filed against Dothan City Attorney Len White and Police Chief John Powell.

“All the issues raised are about personnel,” West said. “The two main factors are sexual discrimination and racial discrimination.”

Dothan Police Officer RaeMonica Carney filed a complaint in which she said White singled her out, and then yelled and screamed at her during an interview about a pending wrongful death lawsuit filed against the City of Dothan and the Dothan Police Department. The complaint said Carney felt she’d been singled out by being the only African American in the room, and the only woman after the three female employees in the room had been dismissed by White.

Carney was questioned by White about her participation in a traffic crash investigation involving Tabitha Farmer in January 2007. A short time after being released from the first crash scene by police, Farmer was involved in a traffic fatality that left Larry Downing dead after he was crushed against the Southern Family Market building by Farmer’s vehicle. Farmer pleaded guilty earlier this year to murder in the fatality and was sentenced to serve 25 years in prison.

Carney said the interview stemmed from a difference of opinion between her and the other officers at the first crash scene. Carney said she did not feel Farmer was safe to continue driving after the first crash, but other officers allowed her to continue driving.

West said he hoped the city’s internal inquiry would be completed within two weeks, which he said would include interviews by himself and Meadows.

“What we’re really talking about ... were her civil rights violated?” West said. “I don’t believe in dragging things out. We’ve got people’s reputations on the line here.”

West said the city’s labor attorney, Carol Sue Nelson, recommended they hire Meadows. He also said Nelson prepared the letter written to Alabama Attorney General Troy King’s Office asking that they take over the separate criminal investigation being conducted by the Houston County Sheriff’s Office into alleged criminal conduct by White and Powell, reported to the sheriff’s office by Carney.

King’s office recently said they would not get involved.

Houston County Sheriff Andy Hughes said has asked agents with the Alabama Bureau of Investigation to assist his office in their inquiry. Hughes has said the completed investigation would be turned over to Houston County District Attorney Doug Valeska.

Carney said Tuesday that she recently had a tape recorded interview with a Houston County Sheriff’s investigator and two ABI agents. Carney, who normally works as a school resource officer, has been on patrol duty at the city’s parks while school is out for the summer.

“So far I’m just kind of waiting to see what the outcome is going to be,” Carney said. “I’m not trying to rush either side. I just want this investigation to be thoroughly completed.”