Saturday, August 21, 1999
Fired police chief to sue again
Harrison faces more on allegations
BY RACHEL MELCER
The Cincinnati Enquirer
HARRISON — City officials thought they had heard the last of the he-said, she-said sexual harassment and rape allegations between former police chief Thomas Keenan and his former clerk. But they were wrong.
Mr. Keenan, who dropped a $5 million civil suit against the city earlier this summer, intends to refile the case, attorney Firooz Namei said Friday. And this time, he may file it in federal court.
“What applies here is the fact that some of his cherished constitutional rights were violated. And definitely, he could pursue that in federal court,” Mr. Namei said.
Mr. Keenan initially sued the city of Harrison, two council members, the law director and municipal prosecutor in 1997, alleging that they conspired to ruin his career.
The officials had investigated charges by a former Harrison police department clerk, Karen Roll, who claimed she was raped and harassed by Mr. Keenan.
He was first placed on administrative leave and denied a pay raise, then fired in January 1998 after being indicted on charges of rape and gross sexual imposition. Two criminal trials ended in hung juries before Hamilton County prosecutors decided in January to drop the charges.
Mr. Keenan said the investigation was trumped up in retaliation for an alleged ticket-fixing scheme by a city official that he halted. And he said his career was ruined by the allegations and resulting publicity.
“If the charges and everything were subterfuge to get him out (of the Harrison police department), he has suffered substantially. He was a police officer all his life. Now he has nothing,” Mr. Namei said.
Ms. Roll has also sued the city of Harrison and Mr. Keenan, for $2 million.
She alleges, as she did in criminal court, that she was forced to submit to Mr. Keenan's sexual advances and assault — and that city officials did nothing to stop it.
That case, filed earlier this month, also seeks reinstatement to her clerk's job and back pay.
The city is insured against such claims, said law director William Ennis. He said he cannot remember a time when Harrison was forced to defend itself against these types of civil lawsuits.
Other members of the team that investigated Ms. Roll's complaints were also named in Mr. Keenan's initial suit — and will be again, Mr. Namei said.
They are City Council members Deb Acra and Judy Kircheval, Mr. Ennis and municipal prosecutor William M. Deters II.
“I still believe the suit, from the very beginning, is baseless and has no merit,” Mr. Deters said.
“(Mr. Keenan) is saying that for some reason there's a vendetta against him by the city and, more particularly, by the team that conducted the sexual harassment investigation against him....But there was nothing we made up or took just one person's word on.”
Everyone named in Mr. Keenan's suit had been relieved to hear that it had been dropped.
Mr. Deters said he wished it were over but understands that the legal process entitles everyone to a day in court. Ms. Acra declined to comment. Ms. Kircheval could not be reached.
“Ms. Roll, hers is an ongoing lawsuit ... so it's going to take its course, whatever that is,” Mr. Ennis said. “Mr. Keenan voluntarily dismissed his lawsuit ... but under Ohio law, he has one year to refile. It's within his discretion.”
“It's never over till it's over.”
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