CANYON COUNTY, Idaho — A woman who worked for more than 15 years as a Victim Witness Coordinator with the Canyon County Sheriff's Office claims the agency, and Sheriff Kieran Donahue, discriminated against her on the basis of her gender and retaliated against her when she reported conduct she believed to be discriminatory and illegal.
The attorney for Aleshea Boals, who now lives in Ada County, on April 22 filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court, accusing the sheriff's office of violating federal civil rights law and the Idaho Protection of Public Employees Act, which is intended to protect public employees in "whistleblower" cases.
In addition to the Canyon County Sheriff's Office, the suit also names Sheriff Donahue individually as a defendant.
Boals worked as Victim Witness Coordinator from 2006 until January 31, 2022, when she was fired from the sheriff's office. During most of that time, the lawsuit states, Boals received excellent reviews and many awards and accolades. As founder of the Victim Witness Unit, she developed protocols and standard operating procedures for the unit and for law enforcement who investigate cases involving domestic violence, child abuse, sexual assault and stalking.
Over the last several years, the lawsuit states, Boals had become increasingly concerned about the way one detective treated female victims, including blaming victims and not believing their reports of assault or abuse. She was also concerned that the detective failed to follow protocols and procedures when interviewing female victims and investigating their cases. Boals also said the detective's interactions with female victims was “significantly different from his interactions with male victims.”
In February 2021, when Sgt. Doug Gately became Boals’ supervisor, Boals discussed with him her concerns about the detective's handling of certain cases, including not coordinating with Boals to provide victim services and not providing her any information about the case.
In one case, the lawsuit alleges, a parent called Boals to inform her that the detective was closing a case because he believed her daughter was lying. A suspect later gave a "full confession," according to the lawsuit.
Boals claims that when she reported the detective's conduct to Sgt. Gately, he "became very belligerent" and yelled at her, so she went up the chain of command to Lt. Charles Gentry. According to the lawsuit, Gentry told her detectives weren't required to follow the Victim Witness Program procedures, which included providing victims with medical exams and a forensic interview and other interviews classified as "CARES interviews" before investigators were to conduct in-depth interviews of the victim.
Boals' lawsuit states that she later shared her concerns with Sheriff Donahue who, along with Gately and Gentry, called a meeting and disciplined Boals "supposedly for going outside the chain of command." Boals claims Gately and Gentry "started to harass, discriminate and retaliate" against her on an almost daily basis, began micromanaging her schedule and work activities, and interfered with her ability to communicate with victims and to provide guidance to patrol officers and deputies regarding victim services.
In later discussions, Boals alleges, Sheriff Donahue reinforced her supervisors' mandates that she said limited her ability to do her job of serving victims, and said he would move to a formal investigation of her if she disagreed with the mandates.
Citing extreme anxiety and depression, Boals applied for and was granted time off under the Family Medical Leave Act in November 2021. She retained attorneys to "try and negotiate an amicable, official end to her employment from CCSO."
Boals’ attorneys sent a letter to CCSO, outlining the harassment, discrimination and retaliation to which she had been subjected since March 2021, the lawsuit states.
About three weeks after she began her leave, Boals received a text message from a Nampa Police dispatcher, who stated she had heard Boals had resigned and asked whether the “rumors were true” (or something to that effect), the lawsuit claims. Boals had not spoken to anyone about the status of her employment, so, she alleges, officials at CCSO had told people that she had “resigned.”
"Indeed, it appeared that CCSO would prefer Ms. Boals resign, in lieu of rectifying her intolerable and discriminatory working conditions," the lawsuit states. "On November 24, 2021, CCSO sent a letter to Ms. Boals, in which CCSO notified Ms. Boals that she had been placed on leave with pay, so CCSO and Ms. Boals could discuss her 'return to work or the amicable conclusion of [her] employment with CCSO.' In that letter, CCSO: a. Indicated that Ms. Boals was not allowed to return to work or the Canyon County Courthouse until she was cleared by the County to do so; and b. Asked Ms. Boals to return all County-issued property, including electronic devices, identification/access cards and other keys."
Boals was terminated in late January 2022. The lawsuit claims Sheriff Donahue and "other Chiefs and Lieutenants" informed CCSO staff that Boals had been terminated for insubordination and failing to follow orders.
“Sheriff Donahue and CCSO officials have a practice of valuing and trusting what its male employees say, while devaluing what its female employees say because they are too ‘emotional’ to be trusted,” the lawsuit alleges.
KTVB reached out to the Canyon County Sheriff's Office for comment on the suit.
“The Sheriff denies any wrongdoing and doesn’t intend to otherwise comment except through the legal process,” said Joe Decker, Canyon County Public Information Officer.
A hearing on the lawsuit, a 40-page document posted below, has not been scheduled, and the claims presented in the document have not been proven in court.
Boals is seeking back pay and lost benefits, and future pay and benefits lost as a result of her termination, as well as compensatory damages for emotional distress, punitive damages "where allowable," and attorneys' fees and court costs.
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