Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
- Heber City Police Chief Parker Sever's lawsuits with Hanford, California, police were settled in February.
- Cpl. Jason Stingley and officer Patrick Jurdon alleged racial discrimination and retaliation in dual complaints from 2023.
- The settlements are not an acceptance of any wrongdoing or liability, Hanford says.
HEBER CITY — Two lawsuits brought against Heber City Police Chief Parker Sever and his former employer, the Hanford Police Department in Kings County, California, have been settled; the details were revealed in an April 1 city council meeting.
Former Hanford Police Cpl. Jason Stingley brought a suit against the department, Sever, and two others in their individual capacities in January 2023, alleging "he was subjected to a prolonged pattern of racial discrimination, harassment and retaliation."
Stingley, an employee from July 2006 to January 2022, requested damages of $12 million, and $3 million from the three individuals, including Sever, who was his former supervisor and the former police chief.
As part of settlement negotiations on March 17, the city will pay out $287,500, with both parties covering their own legal fees, according to documents released by the city of Hanford.
In a Feb. 24 mediation meeting, documents show the city agreed to settle a separate lawsuit for $205,000 with Hanford police officer Patrick Jurdon for "discriminatory, hostile, and retaliatory employment practices" in the police department.
Jurdon initially asked for $12 million, plus $3 million for each of the five individuals named, including Sever, the complaint shows.
In both agreements, Hanford "expressly denies any and all allegations of liability, fault and wrongdoing," and the payments are "not intended to be and shall not be a finding or admission of any liability, fault or wrongdoing," the negotiation documents shared with Hanford citizens state.
Sever told KSL.com he is unable to talk about the case, but human resources and other third parties investigated a number of claims in both suits, and he was never disciplined in relation to any of the claims. According to Sever, he was notified of the settlement after the fact and did not have any input in the negotiations.
Allegations
Jurdon, an officer at the department since 2017, and Stingley protested a number of write-ups and disciplinary actions taken by the Hanford Police Department against them, alleging retaliation for calling out racism and instances of inappropriate use of force.
Stingley was an acting sergeant assigned to the department's misdemeanor unit, where Sever was his supervisor.
The lawsuit says Stingley, who is Black, spoke out against "racial and derogatory epithets and comments" made by Sever and others. In one instance, an officer was alleged to have "displayed a noose hanging from his patrol vehicle," while supervisors and peers "ratified the conduct," the suit claims.
Stingley was demoted to corporal in October 2021 for "conduct unbecoming of an officer," a charge Stingley argued was unfounded and retaliatory.
In Jurdon's suit, brought in December 2023, almost a year after Stingleys, the office claimed to have witnessed "racial discrimination and hostility directed toward another African American officer, Jason Stingley by Chief Sever and other officers within the department." That suit does not give any supporting detail. Both plaintiffs were represented by the same lawyer, and their suits appeared similar in structure.
Jurdon claimed to be subject of a "racist meme" that circulated the office in 2021 after he "complained to HR of an excessive force incident" involving another officer. After a number of instances reporting other officers, Jurdon claimed he was retaliated against with unfounded disciplinary write-ups.
The complaint alleged Jurdon was subjected to those actions "being Caucasian and expected to tow the line with other Caucasian members of the department in their blatant racially discriminatory practices."
All claims against Sever as an individual, who was chief through 2022, are dropped as a result of the settlement, Hanford documents show. The city was advised by legal counsel and the PRISM municipal insurance group to approve the settlement. Hanford's deductible is $100,000 on each, with PRISM paying the rest.
Officials appeared to opt for caution, as the city has been subject to a number of claims in the past few years. In March, a jury decided in favor of Hanford, in a wrongful termination case involving their former city finance director Paula Lofgren, who sought $19.2 million in damages, according to a statement from Hanford.
In October 2024, Hanford was ordered to pay over $17 million to women in their 80s who were struck by city employee who ran a stop sign at 51 mph in a tree-trimming truck, according to local news outlet the San Joaquin Valley Sun.
A city media release shows they are still paying out portions of a $12.5 million settlement from 2023 to agrochemical supplier Helena Agri-Enterprises.
