Former Spokane County Sheriff’s Office Deputy is Awarded $19.5 Million After He Was Deemed to be Wrongfully Fired and Defamed by Sheriff

Mary Schultz, of Mary Schultz Law P.S., represented a former Sheriff’s Office deputy and his wife after he was wrongfully fired and defamed by Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich.

Knezovich fired Sgt. Jeff Thurman in 2019. In a news conference, the sheriff said he made the decision after an internal affairs investigation found Thurman used the N-word while on the phone with other deputies, talked about killing Black people and sexually harassed a female deputy.

Thurman sued Knezovich later that year. In his lawsuit, the 18-year veteran of the Sheriff’s Office challenged Knezovich’s characterizations of the investigation, said the story of his use of a racial epithet was fabricated by his accuser and argued he was the victim of racial discrimination himself in his dismissal.

After a four-week trial, the Superior Court jury sided with Thurman on Friday and ordered Spokane County to pay him and his wife, Kaycie Thurman, $19.5 million. They deliberated for less than a day.

Read the source article at spokesman.com.