Anne Ryman

The Republic | azcentral.com

Employees say First Amendment, civil rights were violated

Civil suit alleges employees were targeted for speaking out

ASU officials said they haven't been served with suit, can't comment

Five former Arizona State University police employees and one current ASU police employee are suing the university, alleging retaliation and discrimination after they spoke out about problems within the department.

The civil suit, filed this month in Maricopa County Superior Court, said university employees violated their freedom of speech, forced some of them into retirement and created false internal investigations to punish people.

The suit also alleges employees were directed to change crime statistics "to make ASU appear safer," and that supervisors directed employees to change crime classifications to avoid the community "seeing the crime that occurred on or around campus."

The suit alleges the federal Clery Act, which requires colleges to report crime statistics, was violated through false reporting of crime statistics.

A statement provided by ASU spokesman Mark Johnson said, "We have not been served with the suit so we can’t comment.”

Previous reporting by The Arizona Republic detailed the department's short staffing and low conviction rates in sexual-assault cases. The department subsequently hired more office staff and started a special victims unit to investigate sex crimes.

The Arizona Board of Regents, which oversees the state university system and is named as a party in the lawsuit, declined comment.

The plaintiffs in the suit include four police officers and two police aides. The lawsuit says the department discriminated against those who were "felt to be threats."

ASU sexual-assault cases: Few convictions

The "outrageous conduct goes beyond all possible bounds of decency," the plaintiff's attorney, David Dow, wrote in court filings.

The suit says one former employee, Charles Cornfield, was subjected to an internal-affairs investigation over a blog called the ASU Police Integrity Report that detailed complaints about the department. The suit alleges that Cornfield was forced into retirement based on the harassment.

Another employee, Bernard Linser, was subjected to mandatory interrogations and threatened with the loss of employment "without any evidence of wrongdoing," the suit said.

The suit seeks punitive damages and attorney fees.

Reach the reporter at 602-444-8072 or anne.ryman@arizonarepublic.com.

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