Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Five Sevier County sheriffs' deputies are suing their boss after being demoted for supporting his opponent during the 2006 primary election.
Sheriff Phil Barney demoted Kirt Rippstein, Jack Peterson, Allen Pearson, Jerred LeFevre and Troy Morgan one week after winning the Republican primary last June. All five had supported Barney's opponent and former chief deputy Delbert Lloyd.
The lawsuit filed by the officers in U.S. District Court claims their demotions were retaliation by Barney for their off-duty campaign support of Lloyd.
According to court documents, that support "included placing signs supporting Delbert Lloyd's candidacy on private property with the consent of the property owners, attending fund-raisers and other rallies in support of Delbert Lloyd's candidacy and speaking and writing on behalf of his candidacy."
The lawsuit contends they were given no reason for their demotions and after appealing were told they were not being "disciplined but simply reassigned." The men claim their ranks were demoted and their pay grades cut.
In a Richfield Reaper newspaper story after the primary, Barney suggested the deputies were not trustworthy.
"You put your highest trusted people in these positions ... you have to have people who are totally in support of you and your program," he said.
In an e-mail, Lloyd told The Deseret Morning News he was not surprised by the demotions.
"It is this very behavior from the sheriff that caused me to run," Boyd wrote.
In a posting on his campaign Web site last year, Boyd said he had been relieved of duty after telling Barney he planned to challenge him in the election.
--------
Information from: Deseret Morning News, http://www.deseretnews.com
(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
