North Carolina Sheriff’s Deputy Fired After Lawsuit Settlement

An Iredell County, N.C., sheriff’s officer has been fired after the county paid $475,000 to settlement a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by two women.

Multiple media outlets reported that Deputy Ben Jenkins was fired Tuesday after the settlement of the lawsuit that was filed against him and Sheriff Phil Redmond in 2012.

Jenkins was a domestic violence investigator at the time.

Suzanne Wick and Lisa Mangiardi said Jenkins made lewd sexual remarks to them and continually propositioned and stalked them. The lawsuit said both women were victims of domestic violence.

The women said Redmond and other sheriff’s officials did little to punish Jenkins, who had been demoted to the patrol division.

Maj. Marty Byers said he could not discuss why Jenkins was fired. He could not be reached for comment.