2 more Henderson police officers allege retaliation in separate lawsuits

Two more Henderson Police Department officers who were investigated for their involvement in an alleged cover-up of a DUI crash in 2021 said their suspensions were the result of discrimination and retaliation, according to a pair of lawsuits filed Wednesday.

Officers Marissa Myers and Katherine Cochran claimed in separate complaints filed in District Court they were targeted at least in part because of their sexual orientation. The women both claimed they were also singled out due to their sex.

Another Henderson police officer, Angelo Gomez, filed a lawsuit Dec. 10 alleging the city and Police Department leaders “scapegoated” Gomez and subjected him to “retaliatory discipline” because of his sex, sexual orientation and his Hispanic/Latino race.

The lawsuits stem from the fallout from an April 18, 2021, crash involving Cochran when she was off-duty and, according to witnesses, intoxicated. An internal probe into the crash and the department’s response followed, which resulted in Myers and Gomez each being placed on administrative leave for 18 months, according to their lawsuits.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal first reported on Cochran’s wreck in February 2024, as well as that Cochran and Myers were put on probation for a year. That reporting found ex-Henderson police Chief Hollie Chadwick reversed recommendations to fire officers who were found by internal investigators to have conspired to cover up Cochran’s 2021 crash.

Chadwick, now running for Mayor of Henderson, in July defended her decision to reverse their recommended firings.

Myers in her complaint denied that she refused to conduct a DUI investigation and was following her supervising sergeant’s directions during the 2021 incident. Myers maintained she followed Nevada law and Henderson Police Department policy, and refused to falsify reports or cover up misconduct, according to her lawsuit.

Cochran said the crash was mishandled by supervisors and resulted in an inaccurate incident report which set the stage for a later retaliatory investigation due to Cochran’s sexual orientation, according to her lawsuit.

“The disparate treatment, discriminatory questioning, prolonged investigation and retaliatory media disclosure combined with admissions by leadership demonstrate intentional discrimination based on sex and sexual orientation,” Cochran’s lawsuit states.

Former Henderson chief accused of ‘homophobic bias’

Myers’ and Cochran’s lawsuits each name the city of Henderson, the police department, former police Chief Thedrick Andres — Chadwick’s predecessor — and retired Sgt. Jeff Bott, as well as other current or former department employees. Myers, Cochran and Gomez are being represented by Las Vegas-based attorney James Urrutia of the LJU Law Firm, who did not respond to a request for comment.

The city of Henderson’s public information office said in an email Thursday that it had not yet been served with Myers’ lawsuit and was not immediately able to return a request for comment regarding Cochran’s lawsuit.

Cochran in her filing said she was discriminated against by her supervisors and investigators because she was a lesbian and faced “invasive and irrelevant questioning” about her sexual orientation and romantic relationships byHenderson internal affairs investigators. Both Cochran and Myers said in their filings Andres had a noted history of “homophobic bias.”

Andres retired from the Henderson Police Department in February 2023 and is the chief of police at the Cibolo, Texas, police department. Andres did not respond to a message seeking comment left at his email address listed on the city of Cibolo’s website.

State law protects individuals against employment discrimination on the basis of race, sex, gender identity or expression, according to an online fact sheet by the Nevada Equal Rights Commission.

Release of internal affairs probe caused ‘permanent’ damage

Myers and Cochran also claimed in their suits the city “unlawfully” disclosed internal affairs findings about them, which were published in the Review-Journal’s Feb. 15. 2024, investigation.

Both suits allege the city of Henderson “unlawfully” disclosed an internal affairs report to the Review-Journal that contained “false and exaggerated allegations intended to harm” Myers’ and Cochran’s reputation.

The information the city provided to the Review-Journal was “selectively provided,” which resulted in “permanent damage to her professional reputation,” according to Myers’ complaint.

“The disclosures to media contained false and exaggerated allegations intended to harm Officer Myers’ professional reputation,” Myers’ complaint stated. “The reports were written in a negative manner designed to portray Officer Myers unfavorably.”

Myers and Cochran claimed the city’s actions restricted their abilities to receive promotions. Myers in her complaint stated her career has been “permanently impaired” due to the city’s internal investigation.

Myers is requesting full back pay for salary, benefits, overtime and other compensation she wasn’t able to earn while suspended, as well as additional compensation representing the value of lost promotion opportunities and reduced career earnings during the duration of her anticipated service with Henderson police or next employer.

The two are seeking court orders that would prevent further discrimination or retaliation and the removal of their disciplinary records related to the internal probe, the lawsuits said. Myers and Cochran are also looking for punitive and compensatory damages and legal fees, according to their complaints.