Detective who alleged sex harassment, retaliation gets $450,000 from Webster County
Webster County has agreed to pay $450,000 to a former sheriff's deputy who accused a coworker of sexual harassment.
Amy Stringer worked from 2013 to 2023 as a deputy and detective for the Webster County Sheriff's Office. In a complaint to the Iowa Civil Rights Commission, she alleged that a fellow detective, Tom Steck, had harassed her and other female officers. In particular, she claimed Steck pressured her to help him stalk a female police officer with whom he wanted to pursue an affair and falsely told others he and Stringer were sexually involved.
She also accused Steck of breaking the law by inventing alibis for criminal suspects who were informants for him and using excessive force against arrestees.
Sheriff accused of retaliation after complaint
Stringer reported her claims to the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation in 2022, prior to filing her civil rights complaint. The DCI conducted an investigation, during which Steck was suspended, although the agency ultimately did not bring any charges. After that complaint, Stringer alleges, Sheriff Luke Fleener began retaliating against her and other women in his office, giving them less favorable assignments and harsher feedback and job evaluations.
Ultimately, believing Fleener planned to reinstate Steck and suffering from ulcers she says were related to how she was being treated, she saw no choice but to quit her job.
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A report by the Civil Rights Commission shows Webster County's human resources department spoke with several other female employees who described the sheriff's office as a "good ol' boys club" and said Fleener and other male deputies and supervisors had made sexist remarks, assigned women worse job duties and subjected them to other discrimination.
County denies wrongdoing in settlement
A complaint to the Civil Rights Commission is usually a step toward filing a lawsuit, but in this case, Webster County settled the case before it got to court. The settlement agreement, approved by the county supervisors March 12, pays Stringer $450,000.
"It was determined that it would be in the best interest of the public that these claims be amicably resolved without additional litigation," Webster County Attorney Darren Driscoll said in a statement. "The Respondents to the complaint maintain their denial of any wrongdoing in this matter."
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Steck no longer works for the county, according to Driscoll. Fleener, who is running for re-election this year, did not respond a request to his campaign for comment, but told KCCI in a statement that he and other senior leaders did nothing wrong.
"Unfortunately, we will not have a chance to let the truth be heard in a court of law," he said. "It’s disappointing that this type of complaint can be settled for financial gain."
But Roxanne Conlin, Stringer's attorney, said it was "absurd" to think the county would pay nearly a half-million dollars to resolve a baseless complaint.
William Morris covers courts for the Des Moines Register. He can be contacted at wrmorris2@registermedia.com or 715-573-8166.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa sheriff's detective to get $450K in sexual harassment settlement
