Employee Files Suit Against Sheriff’s Office

SMITH COUNTY — A lawsuit has been filed against the Smith County Sheriff’s office and the plaintiff is a current employee. According to KETK, the former sergeant alleges she was demoted in early August because she told her supervisor about an improper pay raise for another employee. Susan Monroe was the training coordinator for the sheriff’s office, but has since been moved to the jail. In court documents, Monroe claims in July 2013 she brought up a falsified education document which led to a pay raise for another deputy.

In the documents, Monroe claims deputy Joshua Caulkins received a pay raise, which was signed off on by Sheriff Larry Smith after documents were filed showing he had received a bachelor’s degree from Concordia College in Delaware. However, before Sheriff Smith approved the college education request, Monroe says she notified her superiors a week before that, in her words, the school on the form was a diploma mill.

The documents claim Monroe’s rights as a “whistleblower” were violated, since she had been punished for bringing this information to light. Monroe is seeking between $200,000 and $1,000,000 in damages. Her lawyer told KETK they will not make a comment at this time, and the documents speak for themselves.

KETK also spoke with Sheriff Smith over the phone, who said there are two sides to every story, but in the interest of the county, they are not going to make any comment until they have obtained proper legal council.

Monroe has worked for the Smith County Sheriff’s Office since January 2, 2013. She has requested a jury trial.