Maegan Hall, former officer at center of La Vergne sex scandal, reaches $500K settlement after dismissing lawsuit
Hall and four other officers were fired in January after an investigation showed she and other male officers had sex on the job and then lied about it.
LA VERGNE, Tenn. (WSMV) – Maegan Hall, the only female officer fired in connection to the La Vergne Police Department sex scandal, has reached a $500,000 settlement with the city after dismissing a federal civil rights lawsuit against the department and her former coworkers.
Hall and four other officers were fired in January 2023 after an investigation showed she and other male officers had sex on the job and then lied about it.
The lawsuit filed in February 2023 alleged Hall was a victim of sexual harassment while being groomed for “sexual exploitation.” Since the sex investigation made national headlines, lawyers for Hall said she has been subjected to public ridicule and negative publicity has thwarted her attempts to regain employment.
“Maegan Hall was a vulnerable and optimistic 24-year-old woman who had applied to be a police officer in the City of La Vergne,” the lawsuit said. “Where Ms. Hall sought role models at her new job, she instead found predators.”
The now-dismissed lawsuit named the City of La Vergne, alongside fired Police Chief Burrel “Chip” Davis and Sergeants Lewis Powell and Henry “Ty” McGowan as defendants. It claimed Davis, Powell and McGowan, among others, used their authority to manipulate and exploit Hall.
“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 said. “Then, the City blamed her for everything. This lawsuit seeks justice for Maegan Hall.”
Hall frequently experienced a workplace “permeated with sexual innuendo and sexually explicit behavior.” Some officers, like Powell, repeatedly asked her for sex, putting pressure on her to perform sexual acts, the lawsuit said.
This caused Hall to eventually give in to their requests, according to the lawsuit.
Davis, who was fired after a third-party investigation into the sex scandal, solicited pornographic images of Hall from La Vergne Police Department supervisors and actively encouraged McGowan to engage in sexually exploitative behaviors like non-consensual sharing of nude photographs and participating in degrading sexual activities. Much of the claims detailed in the lawsuit were substantiated by the third-party investigation.
“Ms. Hall is entitled to an award of punitive damages against defendants Powell, McGowan, and Davis in an amount to be determined by a jury for the acts committed with malice or reckless disregard described in this complaint,” the lawsuit said.
Hall’s settlement money will not come from taxpayer dollars. The city’s insurance provider will pay the sum of $500,000 to Hall as a gross settlement.
“The La Vergne Board of Mayor and Aldermen voted (Wednesday night) to authorize the mayor to sign a settlement agreement between the City of La Vergne and former police officer Maegan Hall,” the city said in a statement. “The agreement was negotiated between the attorney’s representing the City and Hall. The City’s insurance provider will pay the sum of $500,000 to Hall as a gross settlement, which includes court costs, attorneys fees, and expenses. The City denies any admission of liability.”
Read the full settlement agreement below:
Copyright 2024 WSMV. All rights reserved.
