Fired Chester County 911 dispatcher claims assault, retaliation; sues county, sheriff
A fired 911 dispatcher in Chester County has filed a lawsuit against the county and sheriff’s office that claims he was terminated after reporting an assault by a sheriff’s office supervisor.
The lawsuit was filed this week by Aaron Demetrius Clark, according to court filings. The incidents happened in early 2019, before Sheriff Alex Underwood was suspended from office. Underwood and two deputies have been named in the lawsuit, and were indicted last year on unrelated criminal charges.
Clark claims in the lawsuit that he was fired in April 2019 after he was beaten up by sheriff’s office supervisor Lt. Johnny Neal. Clark was working in the county’s 911 dispatch center. He states in the lawsuit that he told his supervisors that Neal assaulted him in February 2019, then he filed a report about the attack.
Clark claims others in the 911 center witnessed the attack.
The lawsuit claims no investigation or action was taken by sheriff officials. Clark says he was then fired in a targeted conspiracy by Underwood, former chief deputy Robert Sprouse, and others.
Clark was terminated “due to his reporting of the assault that occurred on him by a ranking member of the Chester County Sheriff’s Department,” the lawsuit states.
Joanie Winters, the lawyer for Chester County, declined to comment on the lawsuit until a formal response is filed by the county’s legal team.
“We have been served with the lawsuit but I have not had an opportunity to investigate thoroughly,” Winters said in a statement to The Herald. “Since we are in litigation on the matter, it would be inappropriate to make any comment at this time, but the county will respond to opposing counsel in a timely and appropriate manner.”
The defendats have 30 days to file a written response to the lawsuit, South Carolina court rules show.
Current Chester County Sheriff Max Dorsey also issued a statement to The Herald in response to the lawsuit.
“The Chester County Sheriff’s Office would like to emphasize that the allegations in this lawsuit took place prior to Sheriff Dorsey’s administration,” Dorsey said in the statement. “Those involved in the incident are no longer employed with the Chester County Sheriff’s Office.”
Underwood, a Democrat, is running for election as sheriff against Dorsey, a Republican. The election is Nov. 3.
Underwood was suspended from office by S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster on May 7, 2019 after he was indicted by federal prosecutors on charges of civil rights violations, altering police reports, lying to the FBI, and other charges. Underwood later was indicted by a South Carolina grand jury on similar charges. McMaster then appointed Dorsey as sheriff.
Sprouse and Neal also were indicted by federal and state prosecutors in the same criminal case involving Underwood. Both Sprouse and Neal left the sheriff’s office after indictments by federal and state officials.
Underwood, Sprouse and Neal, through their lawyers, have pleaded not guilty and denied any wrongdoing in the criminal cases.
