Federal Civil Rights Lawsuit Accuses Local Judge of Discrimination, Failure to Follow the Law

A Jefferson County judge is accused of abruptly terminated the county’s court services director over a text message sent outside work hours.

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(Jefferson County, Ind.) - A federal civil rights lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana alleges that Jefferson County Circuit Court Judge DJ Mote abruptly fired the Director of Court Services, Jason Cranney, over a text message and ordered a law-enforcement escort that walked him through multiple blocks of downtown in view of the public.

The lawsuit states that during the week prior to the termination meeting Mote indicated he intended to disregard the county employee handbook and create a separate judicial handbook. During the meeting, the lawsuit alleges, Mote claimed for the first time to have a “zero tolerance” policy for sexual harassment and immediately terminated Cranney after confronting him about the message.

The complaint states Cranney denied sending a sexually explicit text to a coworker and that the text in question was intended humorously and contained statements indicating that any romantic or sexual relationship between them would be inappropriate. The message had been sent outside of working hours on personal phones. The complaint also states that the coworker who received the text did not report the message as sexual harassment to Cranney or Mote, but that a third coworker later brought it to Mote’s attention.

The lawsuit also alleges the judge did not follow procedures required under Indiana law for removing the head of a community corrections program. The complaint states that state law requires removal to be approved by a community corrections advisory board and the county executive, steps the lawsuit alleges never occurred.

In addition to claims of discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the lawsuit alleges violations of constitutional rights under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, including denial of procedural due process and damage to Cranney’s professional reputation.

The complaint also alleges that other employees who engaged in sexual or suggestive comments in the workplace were not terminated and instead received progressive discipline.

Cranney alleges that the accusations surrounding his termination have damaged his professional reputation and affected his ability to pursue employment in the criminal justice field. As the case moves forward in federal court, friends and supporters have created a GoFundMe campaign to help offset legal expenses and provide additional support for Cranney and his children.

The case is currently pending in federal court.