CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A civil trial began Tuesday in Beckley for a Summers County sheriff who allegedly sexually harassed a secretary and laughed off an incident in which two of his deputies shocked her on the buttocks with a Taser.
Sheriff Edward Dolphin and Chief Deputy James Chellis each face civil charges that include battery and sexual harassment in a 2010 lawsuit filed by Administrative Deputy Cheryl Bratcher.
Bratcher claims Dolphin began habitually directing vulgar remarks toward her shortly after his election in 2009, according to the lawsuit, authored by Bratcher's lawyer, Anthony R. Veneri.
On one occasion, Bratcher apparently told Dolphin that she took care of an elderly disabled woman, which included the task of helping her bathe. Dolphin asked Bratcher how much she would charge to give him a bath, the suit states.
Dolphin also repeatedly made remarks about other women's genitalia in front of Bratcher, including opining about how large their breasts were, the suit states.
One day, a deputy approached Bratcher from behind and shocked her on the rear with a Taser, the lawsuit states. Within minutes, Chief Deputy Chellis again shocked the woman in almost the exact same spot, causing a painful blister, according to the suit.
Bratcher complained to Dolphin about the Taser incident and the marks they apparently made on her body.
"In response, Dolphin laughed and advised [Bratcher] that if her husband got bored, he could play connect the dots on her 'a--,'" Veneri wrote in the lawsuit.
Chellis also repeatedly directed vulgar remarks toward Bratcher, according to the suit, including references to his own genitalia.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A civil trial began Tuesday in Beckley for a Summers County sheriff who allegedly sexually harassed a secretary and laughed off an incident in which two of his deputies shocked her on the buttocks with a Taser.
Sheriff Edward Dolphin and Chief Deputy James Chellis each face civil charges that include battery and sexual harassment in a 2010 lawsuit filed by Administrative Deputy Cheryl Bratcher.
Bratcher claims Dolphin began habitually directing vulgar remarks toward her shortly after his election in 2009, according to the lawsuit, authored by Bratcher's lawyer, Anthony R. Veneri.
On one occasion, Bratcher apparently told Dolphin that she took care of an elderly disabled woman, which included the task of helping her bathe. Dolphin asked Bratcher how much she would charge to give him a bath, the suit states.
Dolphin also repeatedly made remarks about other women's genitalia in front of Bratcher, including opining about how large their breasts were, the suit states.
One day, a deputy approached Bratcher from behind and shocked her on the rear with a Taser, the lawsuit states. Within minutes, Chief Deputy Chellis again shocked the woman in almost the exact same spot, causing a painful blister, according to the suit.
Bratcher complained to Dolphin about the Taser incident and the marks they apparently made on her body.
"In response, Dolphin laughed and advised [Bratcher] that if her husband got bored, he could play connect the dots on her 'a--,'" Veneri wrote in the lawsuit.
Chellis also repeatedly directed vulgar remarks toward Bratcher, according to the suit, including references to his own genitalia.
The Bratcher suit is the first of three lawsuits alleging ills in Dolphin's constabulary.
Kelley Joseph Richmond sued the department in October 2010, after she was arrested without a warrant and then allegedly "physically touched in an offensive way" during her confinement in a regional jail.
While she was detained, the Sheriff's Department tried to charge her with brandishing a deadly weapon, described as a .177 caliber pellet rifle, which is not classified as a weapon under West Virginia law, the suit states.
A magistrate later threw out the charges.
In the third case, former Summers Chief Deputy John K. Farmer sued the department after Dolphin demoted and later fired him.
Farmer was chief deputy under former Sheriff Garry Wheeler. When Dolphin won the 2009 election, he demoted Farmer to make way for Chellis, and then later fabricated claims that Farmer had botched several police duties, according to the lawsuit.
Dolphin fired Farmer, who in turn was reinstated after a successful appeal to the county's Sheriff Civil Service Commission.
Bratcher said Dolphin and Chellis often made comments that anyone who "buddied up" with Wheeler or Farmer would be fired, according to her lawsuit.
Veneri represents plaintiffs in all three lawsuits, which were all filed within a month and a half of each other.
Reach Zac Taylor at Zachary.Tay...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-5189.
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