Johnson City has agreed to pay $28 million to settle a class action lawsuit brought by women who alleged police failed to investigate their sexual assaults and conspired to shield a serial rapist from justice.
The settlement, which city officials called the most expensive in Johnson City’s history, must be approved by a federal judge before the process of distributing funds to a potential pool of more than 400 victims, including children, can begin.
The settlement brings to a close a lawsuit that surfaced a series of explosive allegations against the Johnson City Police Department since it was first filed in June 2023.
Among the suit’s allegations is that police violated federal sex trafficking laws and engaged in a conspiracy involving kickbacks to protect Sean Williams, a former Johnson City businessman now implicated in scores of sex crimes against women and children.
Williams was arrested in 2023 while sleeping in his car in North Carolina. His arrest led to the recovery of images that showed Williams sexually abusing 67 women and children inside his Johnson City condo, court records said. Included among the images are victims who reported their assaults to Johnson City police to no avail, the lawsuit alleged.
Williams is now behind bars awaiting a Feb. 24 sentencing for three counts of producing child pornography and one count of escaping federal custody. Federal prosecutors earlier this month submitted their sentencing recommendation of 95 years in prison.
As part of the lawsuit’s settlement, claims involving the conduct of the police department and individual current and former police officers related to Williams — including allegations of corruption, bribery and sex trafficking — will be dismissed and the plaintiffs in the case will submit legal filings that say they faced a substantial risk they could not meet their burden of proof for those allegations.
“Our clients could not be more pleased,” read a statement from Vanessa Baehr-Jones, an attorney with California-based Advocates for Survivors of Abuse.
“This marks a step forward, not only for them but for their community, as they achieve a measure of closure and can begin the healing process,” the statement said.. Brentwood based attorney Heather Moore Collins with HMC Civil Rights Law and San Francisco attorney Elizabeth Kramer also served as attorneys in the case.
Vanessa Baehr-Jones, an attorney representing alleged victims in a class action suit against Johnson City and its police department (Photo: John Partipilo)
City officials, who voted to approve the settlement Thursday, said they did so to avoid a potentially “financially catastrophic” judgement. The $28 million will be paid in part by insurance and partly out of the city budget and will not “disrupt or threaten to disrupt ongoing city services,” Johnson City Commissioner Joe Wise said Thursday.
“Based on the potential class action, and the number of horrific crimes committed by Sean Williams, Johnson City was faced with substantial financial risk if this matter proceeded to trial,” a statement from Johnson City said. “While the settlement is significant, it limits Johnson City’s potential exposure which could have been financially catastrophic.”
In an emailed statement, current and former officers named in the suit said the accusations against them were “heinous” and “absolutely false.”
“We want to be absolutely clear, no officers ever engaged in any corrupt conduct of any kind, whatsoever,” the joint statement said. “They never turned a blind eye to Williams in any way.”
“The heinous corruption and sex trafficking claims were absolutely false and the individuals are pleased that Plaintiffs seem to have finally acknowledged the inability to meet the burden of proof,” the statement said.
Johnson City still faces two additional lawsuits related to police misconduct involving victims of sexual assault and a potential federal corruption probe.
Johnson City police did not investigate, arrest, or charge Williams, intentionally destroyed evidence and allowed Williams to destroy evidence in exchange for cash, the lawsuit alleges – echoing claims in the now settled lawsuit that Johnson City police were paid to turn the other way.
Kateri Dahl, a former federal prosecutor who served as a liaison with Johnson City Police Department, filed a separate whistleblower lawsuit in 2022 alleging police failed to investigate sexual assault allegations against Williams then ended Dahl’s contract as she pressed them to take action.
“Johnson City taxpayers can make their own conclusions as to why their government would pay $28 million to settle claims if they are ‘absolutely false,’” Hugh Eastwood, Dahl’s attorney, said in a statement.
Attorneys representing the women who filed suit, referred to in legal filings as “Jane Does,” turned over 520 pages of emails and attachments to the “prosecution team for the federal public corruption investigation of the Johnson City Police Department,” court records said..
The Department of Justice has, for more than a year, declined to confirm or deny any existing investigation.
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Tennessee Lookout is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Tennessee Lookout maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Holly McCall for questions: info@tennesseelookout.com.
SUMMARY: Desmond Mills Jr., a former Memphis officer who pleaded guilty, testified during the trial of Tadarrius Bean and others charged in Tyre Nichols’ 2023 death. Nichols was beaten after fleeing a traffic stop; footage showed officers laughing while Nichols struggled. Mills admitted hitting Nichols out of anger after accidentally pepper-spraying himself and regretted failing to stop the beating. Nichols died three days later from blunt force trauma. Defense argued Nichols resisted arrest, while prosecutors said officers were “overcome by the moment” and failed to intervene. The trial, moved from Memphis due to publicity, addresses charges including second-degree murder amid scrutiny of MPD’s conduct.
www.thecentersquare.com – By Kim Jarrett | The Center Square – (The Center Square – ) 2025-04-30 12:15:00
(The Center Square) – Democrats and Republicans from three states are supporting a 287-mile trail that would include Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina.
The lawmakers are asking for a feasibility study on the Benton MacKaye National Scenic Trail. U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, R-Tenn., said Wednesday the trail deserves a national scenic designation.
“The Benton MacKaye Trail is an invaluable part of my district in East Tennessee that thousands of Tennesseans and Americans hike each year, and the trail connects some of the most beautiful and pristine parts of Tennessee with Georgia and North Carolina,” Fleischmann said.
The trail that winds through the Southern Appalachian Mountains was completed in 2005, according to Bob Cowdrick, president of the Benton MacKaye Trail Association, which has supported its development since 1980, according to the bill.
“This study would help protect our storied outdoor heritage for future generations, support local economies, and provide a wide array of recreation opportunities for everyone from day hikers to thru-hikers and solo trekkers to families,” Cowdrick said.
The trail’s path is made up of 95% of federal land. It passes through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Chattahoochee-Oconee, Cherokee and Nantahala National Forests. It begins at North Georgia’s Springer Mountain and ends at North Carolina’s Mount Sterling, according to the Benton MacKaye Trail Association.
The bill is cosponsored in the House by Democrats Steve Cohen of Tennessee and Lucy McBath of Georgia. Rep. Chuck Edwards, R-N.C., is also a cosponsor. Republican North Carolina Sens. Thom Tillis and Ted Budd are cosponsoring it in the Senate with Rep. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga. The bill is currently in the House Natural Resources Committee.
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Centrist
The article reports on bipartisan support for a feasibility study on the Benton MacKaye National Scenic Trail, without advocating for a particular ideological stance. The language used is factual and neutral, primarily focusing on the collaboration between Democrats and Republicans from three states. The article does not show a clear bias in favor of one political party or the other. It simply highlights the specifics of the bill, its sponsors, and the potential benefits of the trail, such as supporting local economies and outdoor recreation. Therefore, it adheres to neutral, factual reporting without promoting a specific viewpoint.
The trio charged in a Tennessee political corruption case shared text messages in early 2020 complaining about the state’s failure to pay a mysterious vendor for work on lawmakers’ constituent mailers, at one point cursing the administrator in charge of handling invoices.
One text message from former Rep. Robin Smith of Hixson to ex-Speaker of the House Glen Casada said, “Connie’s a bi—.” Casada responded, “Agreed!”
Smith, who pleaded guilty in the fraud and kickback case and is cooperating with federal prosecutors, was referring to now-retired Legislative Administration Director Connie Ridley, who handled payments for the state’s postage and printing program for lawmakers. Ridley held up payments because of problems with W-9 tax forms by the vendor, Phoenix Solutions, which was run by former legislative aide Cade Cothren, and Casada, testimony showed.
Smith testified she was “highly frustrated” because Ridley approved work without having the federal tax documents on hand. Eventually, Cothren sent the state a W-9 signed as “Matthew Phoenix,” one of the key documents prosecutors are using in the case to show deception by Smith, Casada and Cothren to direct business to Phoenix Solutions without state officials or lawmakers knowing who was behind the company.
Casada and Cothren had stepped down from their posts at different points in 2019 because of a racist and sexist texting scandal. Casada remained in the General Assembly but not as House speaker.
Connie Ridley, former director of legislative administration, shown leaving Nashville’s federal courthouse on April 25, 2025. (Photo: John Partipilo/Tennessee Lookout)
Another text displayed for the jury Tuesday showed the state had paid for work on a lawmaker’s constituent mailer but didn’t include taxes.
Smith and Cothren sent each other “incredulous” text messages and Smith added another one saying, “Quite the bullsh–.”
Smith, former chairman of the Tennessee Republican Party, met with Ridley to speed up payments in February 2020 when the state owed Phoenix Solutions $34,000 for work on several Republican lawmakers’ constituent mailers, including now-former Rep. Patsy Hazlewood of Signal Mountain, Rep. Dan Howell of Cleveland, Rep. Esther Helton-Haynes of East Ridge, Rep. Dennis Powers of Jacksboro, Rep. Susan Lynn of Mt. Juliet, Rep. Bud Hulsey of Bristol, Rep. Chris Hurt of Halls, Rep. Andrew Farmer of Sevierville and Smith and Casada.
Ridley testified earlier this week she didn’t find out Phoenix Solutions was run by Cothren until May 2020 when federal authorities told her to continue processing the New Mexico-based company’s invoices.
Earlier Tuesday, U.S. District Court Judge Eli Richardson ruled that prosecutors can present evidence showing the trio wanted to expand from constituent mailers, which are paid for with tax money, to House Republican Caucus work. Defense attorneys argued that the prosecutors should be limited to evidence about the postage and printing program because it is outlined in the indictment, not an effort to tap into caucus funds.
Tennessee Lookout is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Tennessee Lookout maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Holly McCall for questions: info@tennesseelookout.com.
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Center-Right
The content highlights a political corruption case involving Republican lawmakers in Tennessee, presenting factual details about legal proceedings, text communications, and testimonies. While it exposes misconduct within a specific party, the reporting style remains largely neutral and focused on the facts without overt editorializing or broad partisan critique. This aligns with a center-right bias, as it scrutinizes members of a right-leaning party but in a relatively balanced and fact-based manner typical of moderate conservative or center-right news coverage.
