Tennessee city pays $500,000 to ex-cop who had sexual trysts with 6 fellow officers, lawsuit says she was 'sexually groomed'



The former cop who was fired after being involved in an explosive sex scandal at a Tennessee police department has been awarded a $500,000 settlement from the city of La Vergne.

In January 2023, several officers at the La Vergne Police Department were suspended or fired over a sordid sex scandal. As Blaze News previously reported, there were allegations of unreported sexual relationships, having sex while on duty, and sexual harassment by sending pornographic photos and videos.

There were reported games of "strip Uno," a "Girls Gone Wild"-themed hot tub party, and foot fetish photos being shared.

The officers who were terminated are Patrol Officer Juan Lugo Perez, Sgt. Lewis Powell, Detective Seneca Shields, Sgt. Henry Ty McGowan, and Patrol Officer Maegan Hall. La Vergne Police Department Chief Burrel "Chip" Davis was also fired for allegedly receiving sexually explicit photos and videos of Hall.

Hall, 28, allegedly had sexual relations with six of her coworkers – which were not reported to the department.

In March 2023, Hall filed a federal civil lawsuit against the city of La Vergne. Hall claimed she was "sexually groomed" by her police colleagues.

Hall's attorney, Wesley Clark, previously said, "On several occasions, Hall tried to get out of this relationship, and she was not allowed to."

"Maegan wasn't looked at as a rookie cop to be trained and promoted," Clark claimed. "She was looked at like a piece of meat to be sexualized and exploited."

Hall said in an interview last year, "My supervisors worked together to take advantage of my vulnerabilities and mental health, and they used it for their gain and their sexual pleasure."

She said, "Who do you turn to when the chief of police is sexually harassing you? How can I get justice when the entire system, including the chief, not only condoned such behavior but participated in it? I was lost, and I felt alone. I had no one to turn to and nowhere to go."

On Wednesday, the La Vergne board voted 3-1 at a special meeting to settle the lawsuit.

Hall will receive $500,000 from the settlement.

The city denied "any admission of liability" and noted that no taxpayer funds were spent to settle the lawsuit, according to WTVF.

La Vergne Alderman Dennis Waldron was the lone dissenting vote.

Waldron said of the board's approval of the half-million-dollar settlement: "What message does that send to all the other employees?"

"It's sending a message out to everybody in the world [that says] come to La Vergne, sue La Vergne because they’re going to settle," Waldron stated.

Clark expressed that he is "absolutely" satisfied with the $500,000 settlement.

The attorney told WTVF, "This was her decision. She wanted to put this in the past and move forward with her life."

Clark remarked about Waldron's comment, "Well, I've got great advice for him. Stop breaking the law and you won't get sued."

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Ex-Tennessee police officer sues city of La Vergne, claims 'racial prejudice' in firing over shocking sex scandal



A former Tennessee police officer involved in the shocking sex scandal that rocked the La Vergne Police Department has sued the city for racial prejudice.

Last week, former La Vergne Sgt. Lewis Powell filed a lawsuit against the city of La Vergne; La Vergne Mayor Jason Cole; the city's Human Resources director, Andrew Patton; and former Police Chief Chip Davis, according to court records.

As Blaze News previously reported in January, Powell was one of five La Vergne Police Department officers fired after an investigation into allegations of sexual escapades between the officers.

The department’s police chief, Burrel "Chip" Davis, was also terminated after investigators determined that he "was aware of the sexual misconduct within his department and never reported or disciplined any of the officers involved."

The sexual misconduct accusations of the sex scandal also resulted in three other officers being suspended following the December 2022 investigation.

La Vergne Police Department officer Maegan Hall was fired after the internal probe allegedly discovered that she had sexual relationships with six of her coworkers — including a threesome with the wife of one of the cops.

The report claimed that Hall performed oral sex on two officers at the police station and in the department's gym while the officers were on duty.

Patrol Officer Patrick Magliocco told Director of Human Resources Andrew Patton that Hall had told him about Powell’s "big black d***," according to the report.

The officers were accused of exchanging explicit photos and videos.

Hall defended herself by saying, "My supervisors worked together to take advantage of my vulnerabilities and mental health, and they used it for their gain and their sexual pleasure."

Hall claimed Powell threatened to kill himself when she tried to break up with him, "leaving Hall struggling to cope with her own anxiety, depression, and collapsing mental health," according to the Daily Mail.

Powell alleged in a previous filing, "Consequently, in approximately May 2022, Powell began trying to break things off amicably with Hall, saying that he loved his wife. Nonetheless, Hall persisted in trying to entrap him back into a relationship. Hall (who is white) appeared to have some sort of fetish for Powell (who is black) based on his race."

"Initially, she began by talking about sex. She complained to Powell that her own marital sex life was unsatisfying," Powell's filing says. "After Powell responded with an idea or two about how she might spice things up with her husband, Hall asked if Powell could demonstrate. That way, she said that she would know how to please her husband."

Powell claimed that when he rejected her sexual advances, she lashed back by saying that he "must be a homosexual" if he didn't desire her.

In Powell's lawsuit filed last week, the former La Vergne Police Department officer claims that he was terminated partly because of his race.

"They terminated and defamed all the officers involved — except for those who were white and male — based at least partly on racial prejudice," the lawsuit states.

Powell argues in the lawsuit that he had a casual relationship with a female colleague for a short amount of time but stresses that he did not violate any department rules. He also notes that he was never reprimanded or disciplined by his superiors for his actions.

Powell claims that Chief Davis instructed him to "deny that anything had even occurred at all" between himself and Hall. Powell alleges that he falsely denied a relationship with Hall because he took the advice of Davis.

The lawsuit alleges Mayor Cole and the department became "aroused with righteous indignation that his officers had committed fornication under his watch" following the discovery of the scandal, and "Mayor Cole and Director Patton determined to get to the bottom of the situation and uncover every juicy detail."

Powell is asking for a jury trial, back and front pay, $3 million in damages, plus attorney fees.

Hall launched a lawsuit against the city in March.

The lawsuit argues, "Where Ms. Hall sought role models at her new job, she instead found predators. In place of offering professional development, her supervisors and the chief of police groomed her for sexual exploitation."

"Maegan Hall felt trapped in the role assigned to her at the City of La Vergne Police Department and, in an attempt to escape, she nearly killed herself," the lawsuit notes. "Then, the City blamed her for everything. This lawsuit seeks justice for Maegan Hall."

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Ex-Tennessee cop breaks silence on police sex scandal, says fellow officers groomed and abused her to the point of making her suicidal



Former Tennessee police officer Maegan Hall has broken her silence on the salacious sex scandal that garnered national headlines.

Hall was one of five officers formerly employed by the La Vergne Police Department who were fired in January after an internal investigation revealed numerous sex-charged allegations, including sexual relations while at work. The other police offers who were terminated: Patrol Officer Juan Lugo Perez, Sgt. Lewis Powell, Detective Seneca Shields, and Sgt. Henry Ty McGowan. Three other officers were suspended for their part in the sex scandal: K-9 Officer Larry Holladay, Patrol Officer Patrick Magliocco, and Patrol Officer Gavin Schoeberl.

Hall has kept a low profile since the sordid accusations were made public, but she broke her silence with an interview this week.

"I know what most people are saying. 'You could have said no.' I get it," Hall told WTVF. "But my response to them is that I did say no, and he wouldn't take no for an answer. Eventually, I gave in from the pressure."

Hall's attorney, Wesley Clark, added, "On several occasions, Hall tried to get out of this relationship, and she was not allowed to."

"Maegan wasn't looked at as a rookie cop to be trained and promoted," Clark alleged. "She was looked at like a piece of meat to be sexualized and exploited."

The internal probe revealed that Officer Hall had "intimate relationships" with fellow cops, including Holladay, Powell, Lugo, McGowan, Shields, and a threesome with Magliocco and his wife.

Hall said, "My supervisors worked together to take advantage of my vulnerabilities and mental health, and they used it for their gain and their sexual pleasure."

"Who do you turn to when the chief of police is sexually harassing you? How can I get justice when the entire system, including the chief, not only condoned such behavior but participated in it? I was lost, and I felt alone. I had no one to turn to and nowhere to go," she said.

The independent investigation found that La Vergne Police Department Chief Burrel "Chip" Davis not only knew about the sex scandal, but also allegedly received sexually explicit photos and videos of Hall.

Last month, the police chief was fired after a "third-party investigator concluded Davis was aware of the sexual misconduct within his department and never reported or disciplined any of the officers involved."

Hall claimed that her coworkers and supervisors turned on her.

"They isolated me. Shunned me. They accused me, and they blamed me for becoming a victim," Hall said.

Hall said she suffered from severe depression to the point of considering suicide and was hospitalized.

"No woman should ever have to endure this type of abuse," she said. "What happened to me at LaVergne Police Department should never happen to anyone."

Despite five officers being terminated, Hall was the one fired cop who received the most ridicule and scorn online.

Hall said, "I received harassing and threatening messages on my phone daily. I felt like I had been terrorized."

Hall said her faith pulled her through the tumultuous times. She also said that she remains married to her husband and has a solid family support system to lean on.

On Monday, Hall launched a federal lawsuit against her supervisors and the city of La Vergne.

"From the beginning of her employment, Ms. Hall experienced a workplace environment permeated with sexual innuendo and sexually explicit behavior," according to the lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court in Nashville.

"During her employment, Ms. Hall was groomed to engage in sexually exploitative activities by men in the department including Sgt. Powell, Sgt. McGowan, and Chief Davis," the suit claimed.

The lawsuit described Hall's workplace as a "sexually coercive environment," which allegedly took a toll on Hall's mental health.

NBC News reported, "The suit alleged that male colleagues discussed the attractiveness of women and traded stories about their intimate experiences, that an officer told Hall’s superior he wanted to have sex with her and that two officers exchanged photos of their genitals in her presence."

The lawsuit does not specify an amount, but seeks damages from lost wages and medical expenses. The suit also demands compensation for police officers sharing her nude photos, which allegedly caused emotional distress, mental suffering, and "loss of enjoyment of life."

The city of La Vergne has yet to respond to the lawsuit.

You can watch the entire interview with Maegan Hall here.

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