Lawsuit Filed Against Jailer, Former Deputy

A lawsuit has been filed in U.S. District Court against McCracken County Jailer Tonya Ray, former Deputy Jailer Chad Campbell and the county for violating the civil rights of a female employee who said she was sexually assaulted at work.

A copy of the lawsuit, filed on Friday, was sent by the plaintiff's attorney to WestKentuckyStar on Monday. It claims that the woman worked at the jail for about 18 months, but had to quit out of concern for her physical, emotional and mental well-being.

The plaintiff says Campbell sexually harassed her with unwanted kisses, inappropriate touching, sexual comments or jokes, and requests for sexual favors. The lawsuit also says Campbell implied that her career might be affected by how she responded to him. 

The lawsuit also refers to charges filed against Campbell last May, which led to his arrest. The documents also say the plaintiff reported Campbell to Jailer Ray, but no disciplinary action was taken against him.

The lawsuit also says there was jail video of the woman's final encounter with Campbell, and the jailer had it at one time. The suit says Ray refuses to produce the video or claims it has been lost. 

Ray and the county are included in the lawsuit because the plaintiff reported the assault to her boss, who reportedly did not act on this complaint, or other complaints against Campbell by female inmates at the jail.

The lawsuit seeks judgement against Ray, Campbell, and the county, along with compensatory and punitive damages.