A second lawsuit has been filed against the Town of Marana in connection with a 2011 whistleblowing incident at the police department.
Last November former Marana Police Department dispatcher Stephanie Johnson was awarded a $25,000 settlement. On March 6 a second suit was filed in Pima County Superior Court on behalf of former police officer William Derfus in connection with Johnson’s case.
Johnson sued the department in July 2012 for “whistleblower retaliation and breach of contract” after she was fired in March 2012. Her lawsuit named Marana Mayor Ed Honea, Police Chief Terry Rozema and two town employees as defendants.
In the complaint, Johnson contended she was harassed, threatened and intimidated by superiors in the police department after she reported an officer and a dispatcher having repeated, sexually explicit conversations in the office.
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Derfus, a 25-year employee with the department was harassed, demoted and eventually fired after telling Chief Rozema that during the whistle-blower investigation, one of Johnson’s supervisors had referred to her as a “squealing pig,” according to the lawsuit.
Rozema demoted Derfus from sergeant to officer, and said it was because he failed to report the comment to the chief in a timely manner, according to the complaint.
“In short, the chief retaliated against Derfus in the Johnson matter, and then, when Derfus refused to kowtow to the chief’s bullying, he was demoted and had his pay cut,” attorney Adam Watters stated in the lawsuit.
The basis of Derfus’ suit is whistleblower retaliation, wrongful termination and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
Sgt. Chris Warren, spokesman for the Marana Police Department, said town officials are aware of the complaint, but “we don’t comment on active legal cases.”
Watters did not comment on the lawsuits.
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