Seven current and former deputies are suing Hennepin County alleging a workplace “filled with bigotry and fear” under former Sheriff Dave Hutchinson.
Current Sheriff Dawanna Witt, who was elected in 2022 and replaced Hutchinson, is among the plaintiffs who allege the former sheriff used derogatory terms like “hood rat,” “gorilla” and “pedophile” while he “brutally demeaned” his subordinates because of their race and sexual orientation.
The deputies’ complaint, filed in Hennepin County District Court, claims Hutchinson threatened to fire people, talked about killing those who crossed him and waved his loaded service weapon around.
The allegations reflect the findings of an investigation county leaders ordered in 2022. In December of 2022, the County Board released the report and unanimously voted to censure Hutchinson for his behavior.
In a statement, Hennepin County spokeswoman Carolyn Marinan said it was disappointing the Sheriff’s Office leaders decided to sue. She noted that all county leaders, “including the managers and supervisors who filed this lawsuit,” are responsible for reporting discrimination and disrespectful behavior.
“County administration took prompt action to investigate these claims once alerted, and worked diligently to address Sheriff Hutchinson’s conduct during a very challenging time with support from the County Board,” the statement said. “The county will vigorously defend against these claims.”
At the time he was censured, Hutchinson denied the allegations against him and said they were driven by him being Minnesota’s first openly gay sheriff.
The lawsuit says the former sheriff, who was elected in 2018, became more volatile after he crashed his county vehicle while drunk in 2021 with “angry outbursts and vengeful threats.” Hutchinson pleaded guilty to DWI after the northern Minnesota crash that totaled his vehicle.
Other plaintiffs include Chief Deputy Tracey Martin, Investigations Bureau leader Major Patrick King, Administrative Services leader Major Jeffrey Storms and others.
The deputies say they began reporting Hutchinson’s alleged behavior in the summer of 2019, but county officials initially refused to take action. When an investigation was launched in April 2022, the lawsuit says Hutchinson threatened to fire his command staff and said he would ruin whistleblowers who crossed him.
After one “explosive meeting,” the deputies’ lawsuit says they felt like “sitting ducks” and could be victims of a mass shooting.
After Hutchinson was put on administrative leave in May 2022, the plaintiffs say the sheriff continued to disparage and retaliate against them. The lawsuit claims the county did not do anything to protect the plaintiffs or their families.
Hennepin County leaders had an outside investigator probe allegations. They released the report after voting in December 2022 to censure Hutchinson.
He did not seek re-election and after his term ended tried to return to his previous post with Metro Transit police, but was fired for his behavior as sheriff.
This story is developing and will be updated.
Editor’s note: The following document contains offensive language.
Christopher Magan
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