Thomas County hires attorney to probe allegations against sheriff
Thomas County has hired an attorney to investigate allegations against Sheriff Rod Taylor and to determine whether there are grounds to seek his removal from office, officials said Tuesday.
Late last month, Sheriff Rod Taylor fired his undersheriff after the undersheriff submitted a detailed letter to a county commisioner accusing the sheriff of widespread wrongdoing, including:
▪ driving under the influence and smelling of alcohol while on duty.
▪ sexually harassing female staffers, including referring to one as “Ms. Cleavage.”
▪ threatening inmates in the county jail with a broom handle, a shotgun, duct tape and a noose.
Taylor, who couldn’t be reached for comment Tuesday, has denied the allegations, saying they are not true or involve things that were taken out of context. Taylor, 72, said last week that he probably will not seek re-election next year because of his age. He is a former longtime Kansas Highway Patrol trooper and has been sheriff since 2008. He receives an annual salary of $57,164.
The investigation
Allen Glendenning, a Great Bend private-practice attorney, confirmed Tuesday that he has been hired to investigate allegations against the sheriff. Glendenning said he is tasked only with looking at whether there are grounds to seek the sheriff’s removal from office. Glendenning said he couldn’t comment on the nature of the allegations.
County Commissioner Mike Baughn said a maximum of $25,000 has been allocated for the investigation, which is to begin immediately.
The fallout
Commissioner Baughn said that although he doesn’t like spending county money on the investigation, “the allegations are so serious,” and the well-being of sheriff’s employees is involved. “The stress of it is getting to some of them, I think. It needs to be dealt with.”
In addition to Undersheriff Marc Finley being fired, three sheriff’s deputies have resigned since Oct. 29 over issues raised by the allegations, County Clerk Shelly Harms said Tuesday.
Baughn said he worries that the loss of sheriff’s officers will lengthen response times in emergency calls. Thomas County sits two counties east of the Colorado line in northwest Kansas. I-70 goes through it. Colby is the county seat.
What’s next
Ultimately, it will be up to a court to decide whether there are grounds to oust the sheriff. Kansas law says reasons a person holding public office can be removed includes willful misconduct, mental impairment to the degree the person cannot manage the office and crimes involving “moral turpitude.”
This story was originally published November 10, 2015 at 6:18 PM with the headline "Thomas County hires attorney to probe allegations against sheriff."