Insurance Won’t Cover Idaho County Sheriff for Personnel Claims

Owyhee County’s insurer told the county commissioners it would no longer cover the sheriff against any claims involving personnel matters, prompting the commissioners to again ask Sheriff Daryl Crandall to resign.

Crandall said he plans to finish his term, which ends in 2012.

The Idaho Counties Risk Management Program notified commissioners it was invoking its authority to exclude or reduce insurance coverage for certain risk when it believes a member’s conduct has or will put the member-funded pool at unnecessary risk.

The company will no longer cover claims involving wrongful termination, retaliation, discrimination or harassment in the sheriff’s department.

Prosecutor Doug Emery says he does not know of any pending notices of tort claims against Crandall. An August 2010 wrongful termination lawsuit was dismissed.