4 file tort claim against county, prosecutor’s office

Four Clark County legal secretaries have filed a tort claim against the county and prosecuting attorney’s office, alleging harassment and retaliation after they refused to implicate a co-worker who was under criminal investigation. A tort claim alleges civil wrongdoing and generally asks for payment of monetary damages.

The tort claim alleges management in the prosecutor’s office placed the employees on administrative leave after attempting to pressure them to change their statements about a co-worker. The employees are listed as Kathleen De Stael, Jamie Plew, Jennifer Jackson and Kellie Wray.

The incident began after a co-worker, Matthew Blaine Kozlowski, 45, of Vancouver, was investigated for sending emails allegedly hinting that he wanted to shoot someone in the prosecutor’s office. He was arrested and potentially faced felony harassment charges, but the state Attorney General’s Office dropped the case last month.

According to the tort claim, the four employees received Kozlowski’s email messages, and two of the women replied.

They were interviewed about the incident by Clark County sheriff’s Sgt. Kevin Allais before Kozlowski was arrested, and they told him they understood the email exchange to be a joke. The women were allegedly told that if they spoke to anyone about the investigation they would be arrested, the tort claim says.

The employees were subsequently interviewed by Chief Deputy Prosecutor Scott Jackson. They said they felt Jackson was trying to get them to change their statements about Kozlowski, and they refused. The women were placed on administrative leave the following day, according to the tort claim.

Each employee is seeking about $250,000 in damages. If they lose their jobs, there will be additional claims for lost wages, past and future, or other damages associated with wrongful termination.

The employees are being represented by Northwest Legal Advocates.

Efforts to reach Prosecuting Attorney Tony Golik for comment were unsuccessful Monday. Should the county deny the claim, the four women could elect to sue for damages.