LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — State Sen. Jim Runestad (R-White Lake) and chair of the Michigan Republican Get together issued an announcement solely to six Information Investigates difficult a declare made by the pinnacle of the Michigan State Police that the company takes allegations of sexual harassment “seriously.”
Col. James Grady III made the assertion to the 6 Information Investigates Crew on July 1 throughout a press gathering following his testimony earlier than the Michigan Home Oversight Committee.
Michigan State Police Col. James Grady. (WLNS)
“We completely examine on this company, we take these accusations significantly on this division,” he mentioned.
Runestad is questioning that assertion.
“He [Grady] claims to take sexual harassment seriously, but where was his leadership when a trooper assigned to a grieving widow’s case was sending her explicit photos?” Runestad’s assertion reads partially. “MSP leadership initially tried to bury the incident. I raised the alarm last year, and only after the media got involved and more victims came forward did the trooperfinally agree to a settlement and retired.”
Runestad says there wasn’t a lot investigation into the incident by MSP – and that they didn’t take the grievance significantly in any respect.
“It’s almost comical coming from him,” mentioned Runstead. “When she complained to the local post the phone was hung up on her. She complained to the headquarters, and they did a short investigation and said ‘There’s not really much to see here.'”
Sen. Jim Runestad (R-White Lake) (Courtesy Photograph Workplace of Sen. Jim Runestad)
‘Big Boys’ Membership’: Discontent within the Michigan State Police
A lady recognized in courtroom data as Jane Doe sued an MSP Det. Sgt. in Livingston County Circuit Court docket on March 1, 2024. The case, which was dismissed with prejudice by the courtroom Aug. 14, 2024, alleged detective was assigned to analyze the loss of life of Doe’s husband. Doe’s husband had dedicated suicide. In the course of the ongoing “suspicious death” investigation, the lawsuit contends, the detective repeatedly despatched the girl nonetheless pictures and movies of his privates.
However the legal professional who represented the detective, Cullen Christopher Harkness of the Harkness Regulation Agency in Okemos, informed 6 Information Investigates Tuesday that the MSP had performed a radical investigation of the allegations towards his consumer. The inner investigation, he mentioned, decided that she had additionally despatched nude pictures of herself to him. It additionally decided that the messages had been generated and despatched on his private time.
Harkness says the MSP investigation “wasn’t glossed over, it was thorough, but that it didn’t yield any fruit because there wasn’t anything there.”
He informed 6 Information Investigates that the case was settled after three of the 4 counts had already been dismissed by the courtroom and his consumer agreed to a settlement on the remaining depend towards him. He didn’t disclose what the settlement included. Harkness mentioned the detective’s retirement on the finish of September 2024 was unrelated to the civil lawsuit towards him.
Metro Detroit stations WXYZ and Fox 2 reported on March 8, 2024, and on March 15, 2024, concerning the civil case. WXYZ interviewed Jane Doe.
Michigan State Police Lt. Rene Gonzalez informed WZYZ the company couldn’t touch upon ongoing litigation, however “We can confirm that this matter was fully investigated when it was initially brought to our attention and the employee was disciplined.”
The character of the self-discipline has not been disclosed.
On March 15, Fox 2 reported that 4 extra girls had contacted Doe’s legal professional, Invoice Colovos, of the Colovos Regulation Agency in Southgate, with related allegations towards the detective. Runestad joined Colovos for a press occasion in entrance of the Michigan State Police Brighton Submit on March 15 to announce he had launched laws to make sending unsolicited sexual pictures to somebody against the law. The laws would have additionally allowed victims to achieve compensation for the ache and struggling inflicted because of being subjected to unwelcome sexually specific pictures.
The invoice didn’t go the legislature in 2024.
SJR – MSP – 7-8 statementDownload
Harkness mentioned this case “was not a good case for the Senator to hitch his wagon.”
He then disclosed that he’s presently representing an MSP Trooper who’s suing the company for retaliation. In that case, he informed 6 Information Investigates, it includes a trooper reporting discrimination and struggling what Harkness calls “retaliation” for that report.
Michigan State Police Communications Director Shanon Banner. (Courtesy Photograph, MSP. WLNS)
MSP Communications Director Shanon Banner informed 6 Information Investigates by e-mail that the detective concerned within the case was employed by the MSP on March 22, 1998, and retired efficient September 30, 2024. She confirmed Doe’s claims had been “fully investigated” and the detective was disciplined. Banner didn’t disclose what the self-discipline was. She was additionally unable to substantiate if the detective acquired his full retirement pension.
Banner declined to supply extra remark relating to the MSP’s dealing with of sexual harassment and gender discrimination instances, citing Col. Grady’s on-camera feedback July 1 and former statements despatched by Banner to six Information Investigates.
Grady serves as a gubernatorial appointment. In earlier statements, the workplace of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, has backed Grady. 6 Information Investigates has reached out to Whitmer’s workplace for remark however has not heard again. This story will probably be up to date when, and if, there’s a response from the governor or her workforce.
Runestad and fellow Republicans within the Home have been pushing for Grady and his second in command, Lt. Col. Aimee Brimacombe, to resign from their positions. These calls started after unions representing sworn officers of MSP surveyed their membership about their confidence within the management of the duo. An amazing majority of rank-and-file troopers and command employees haven’t any confidence within the duo’s management.
Runestad has additionally referred to as on the Division of the Legal professional Normal to open a prison investigation into an inside investigation and disciplinary motion taken towards Brimacombe, then commanding the company’s danger administration division, for misusing a state-owned automobile for private use.
Photograph illustration. (WLNS)
All of this surfaces as 6 Information Investigates continues with our second installment of a sequence referred to as “The Big Boys’ Club”. The sequence seems to be at allegations leveled towards the company by former MSP Trooper Megan Moryc. These allegations embrace sexual harassment, gender discrimination and retaliation. Moryc, herself, coined the phrase “The big boys’ club” in interviews with 6 Information investigates and in formal discrimination and harassment complaints filed with the MSP.
Moryc herself confronted prison sexual conduct fourth diploma prices and assault and battery prices stemming from a drunken sport of “horseplay” in Grand Traverse County on Oct. 13, 2020. She would enter a no contest plea to the assault and battery prices in alternate for having the CSC prices dismissed. She was sentenced to 30 days in jail and served 21 days within the Grand Traverse County Jail in 2021. She was subsequently fired in August of 2021.
However in February of 2022, after a grievance listening to earlier than a state administrative regulation choose, MSP was ordered to reinstate Moryc as trooper with a change in her self-discipline report reflecting she had not been terminated, as initially determined by an MSP self-discipline committee, however had served a six-month unpaid suspension for the assault and battery prices.
MSP officers and attorneys from the Division of the Legal professional Normal argued the CSC prices warranted termination and fought the arbitration determination to the Michigan Supreme Court docket, the place, in September 2024, the state’s excessive courtroom rejected an enchantment and upheld a broadcast opinion from the Michigan Court docket of Appeals.
HELP IS AVAILABLE
Should you or somebody is experiencing home or sexual violence, there’s assist.
If you’re in instant hazard, name 911 or your native regulation enforcement company.
For help associated to home violence, name: 1-800-799-7233
For help associated to sexual assault, name: 800.656.HOPE (4673)
