Knispel Files Suit, Claims Demotions Were PolitIcal
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Daniel [email protected]
Loren Keith Allison, an attorney out of Fort Wayne, filed paperwork April 30 on behalf of KCSD Sheriff Steve Knispel in Superior Court 1.[[In-content Ad]]
Sheriff Rocky Goshert, Kosciusko County Commisioners President Ron Truex and Kosciusko County Administrator Ron Robinson are named in the lawsuit.
The suit claims that Knispel, who was the director of the Kosciusko County Work Release Center from March 2004 until January 2007, was moved from his position because of his support for Whitaker rather than now-Sheriff Goshert in the 2006 Republican Primary.
That primary race was hotly contested with Goshert winning easily in the end with 5,211 votes (57.89 percent of the vote) to Whitaker's 2,908 (32.31).
Goshert went on to defeat his Democratic challenger Jim Bumbaugh by more than 7,000 votes in November 2006.
In his lawsuit, Knispel claims he was demoted from his superviosry role to "non-exempt second shift patrol duties" on Goshert's first day, January 1, 2007.
Knispel claims that he was demoted a second time to paper service and prisoner transport.
Knispel states in his lawsuit that his first ammendment rights were violated as well as his right of political affiliation.
Knispel claims that compensatory and vacation time that he accrued while at work release were never paid to him.
Sheriff Goshert declined to comment on the lawusit other than to point out that Knispel's grievances were taken to the KCSD merit board where no wrongdoing was found.
Goshert also said that Knispel's rank and pay grade have remained the same.
Knispel also stated in the lawsuit that an unnamed investigator from KCSD went to Patona Bay Marina sometime during the summer of 2007. Knispel was employed part-time at Patona Bay.
The lawsuit states the investigator stated he was there to "investigate ghost hours" of Knispel and the theft of tools from the sheriff's department.
Also in the summer of 2007, the lawsuit claims an investigator visited Knispel's family dentist. The lawsuit states that investigator was looking into a potential scheme where Knispel would send work release employees to the dentist for kickbacks.
On May 13, Robert T. Keen, the attorney for all three defendants, filed a petition for removal.
The case still is pending.
Loren Keith Allison, an attorney out of Fort Wayne, filed paperwork April 30 on behalf of KCSD Sheriff Steve Knispel in Superior Court 1.[[In-content Ad]]
Sheriff Rocky Goshert, Kosciusko County Commisioners President Ron Truex and Kosciusko County Administrator Ron Robinson are named in the lawsuit.
The suit claims that Knispel, who was the director of the Kosciusko County Work Release Center from March 2004 until January 2007, was moved from his position because of his support for Whitaker rather than now-Sheriff Goshert in the 2006 Republican Primary.
That primary race was hotly contested with Goshert winning easily in the end with 5,211 votes (57.89 percent of the vote) to Whitaker's 2,908 (32.31).
Goshert went on to defeat his Democratic challenger Jim Bumbaugh by more than 7,000 votes in November 2006.
In his lawsuit, Knispel claims he was demoted from his superviosry role to "non-exempt second shift patrol duties" on Goshert's first day, January 1, 2007.
Knispel claims that he was demoted a second time to paper service and prisoner transport.
Knispel states in his lawsuit that his first ammendment rights were violated as well as his right of political affiliation.
Knispel claims that compensatory and vacation time that he accrued while at work release were never paid to him.
Sheriff Goshert declined to comment on the lawusit other than to point out that Knispel's grievances were taken to the KCSD merit board where no wrongdoing was found.
Goshert also said that Knispel's rank and pay grade have remained the same.
Knispel also stated in the lawsuit that an unnamed investigator from KCSD went to Patona Bay Marina sometime during the summer of 2007. Knispel was employed part-time at Patona Bay.
The lawsuit states the investigator stated he was there to "investigate ghost hours" of Knispel and the theft of tools from the sheriff's department.
Also in the summer of 2007, the lawsuit claims an investigator visited Knispel's family dentist. The lawsuit states that investigator was looking into a potential scheme where Knispel would send work release employees to the dentist for kickbacks.
On May 13, Robert T. Keen, the attorney for all three defendants, filed a petition for removal.
The case still is pending.
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