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.
www.thecentersquare.com – By Kim Jarrett | The Center Square – (The Center Square – ) 2025-03-31 12:49:00
(The Center Square) – A bill that would dissolve a 61-year-old commission and place it under the Tennessee attorney general’s office took another step on Monday.
Senate Bill 861/House Bill 910 would move the Human Rights Commission’s duties to the attorney general’s office as of July 1.
Former Gov. Frank G. Clement created the independent commission in 1963, according to its 2023-24 annual report. A nine-member board oversees the commission, which not only investigates cases but also conducts education and outreach efforts.
Rep. Johnny Garrett, R-Goodlettsville, told the House Government Operations Committee on Monday that transferring the authority could put more teeth into civil rights investigations.
“I think if someone receives a letter or action that the attorney general is investigating their actions, I think that’s going to perk up some people,” Garrett said. “I think that’s going to make some people hopefully say, ‘What have I done to attract the attorney general of the state of Tennessee who has the authority to investigate claims that I might have been involved in?'”
Democrats have pushed against the bill.
“Independence matters,” said Rep. Sam McKenzie, D-Knoxville. “Autonomy matters. From your answer its seems as if the HRC wasn’t doing something as far as getting behind and their authority wasn’t enough and we have to give it more authority and a letter coming from the AG’s office is going to give it more authority than it has now. I fundamentally disagree with that premise.”
The bill is not about an organization’s failures but about making it better, Garrett said.
Others are concerned about what happens to the cases, around 1,000, that would have to be resubmitted to the attorney general’s office.
“The time and resources spent on refiling cases would disproportionately affect the complainants and the businesses alike, causing unnecessary delay and confusion and disrupt the legal process for thousands of individuals relying on timely resolutions,” Muriel Nolen, the executive director of the commission during testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee on March 24.
The committee agreed to move the bill to the House Finance, Ways and Means Committee. The Senate version passed the Senate Judiciary Committee and was referred to the Senate Government Operations Committee.
SUMMARY: The University of Tennessee’s basketball season ended in the Elite 8 for the second consecutive year, losing to the University of Houston 69-50. A poor first half saw the Vols fall behind by over 20 points, and despite a strong start to the second half, they couldn’t overcome Houston’s efficient three-point shooting. Tennessee shot just 29% from the field, with standout performances from Jordan Gainey and Chaz Lanier scoring 17 points each, while Zakai Zeigler was limited to five. Houston’s strong rebounding and point production in the paint secured their victory and a spot in the Final Four.
SUMMARY: Tennessee is facing a severe shortage of school counselors, with the average counselor handling 429 students, nearly double the recommended ratio. This overload hinders counselors’ ability to provide personalized support, leading to negative outcomes like lower graduation rates and increased mental health issues. Factors contributing to the shortage include unclear career pathways, role confusion, and low pay. Efforts to address this, such as the “Map My Pathway” project, aim to better inform students about the counseling profession. Counselors play a vital role in advising students on academic and financial decisions, but current workloads make it difficult to support students effectively.
