Perryville releases investigation report of former chief

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- A report released Wednesday by the city of Perryville details allegations of sexual harassment, gender discrimination and abuses of power by former police chief Keith Tarrillion, who was arrested Friday on charges of theft, forgery and making a false report.

Tarrillion fired back the same day, calling the report "incomplete and inaccurate," without elaborating.

The report, which a judge gave the city permission to release Tuesday in response to an open-records request by the Southeast Missourian, documents the results of former Secret Service agent Paul Nenninger's investigation into allegations of misconduct by the former chief.

In a statement issued Wednesday to several local media outlets, Mayor Debbie Gahan expressed disappointment with Tarrillion's conduct and statements he made to the media since his resignation in March.

"We, like many others, were very surprised when we received the initial allegations; however, as is required by law, we took those allegations very seriously and hired a competent and well-respected investigator to research the validity and accuracy of those accusations," the release, which was signed by Gahan, stated. "Unfortunately, the investigator confirmed many of the original allegations and exposed several other issues of concern, including most notably the alleged falsified 'hot tub' report."

The 'hot tub report'

The "hot tub report" to which Gahan referred is at the heart of the charges the state attorney general's office filed against Tarrillion last week. Tarrillion is accused of filing a report of vandalism to a hot tub and a table at his home under another officer's name in an attempt to collect insurance money.

Perryville city attorney Thomas Ludwig said information about that report was redacted from the documents released Wednesday because the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the state attorney general's office handled the criminal investigation once the report surfaced.

"I have no right to release their stuff," Ludwig said.

Nenninger's report contained few revelations beyond the allegations previously reported, but it provided some insight into the scope of his investigation.

In his March 13 resignation letter to the city, Tarrillion admitted he provided the narrative for the vandalism report, which another officer signed, saying the practice "could be considered improper" but was neither illegal nor uncommon.

He declined to comment Wednesday on the report or Gahan's statement.

"I don't think today's statement, released by city officials is worth a response because it contains incomplete and inaccurate information," Tarrillion said in an email message.

Nenninger's probe

In a memo to city officials, Nenninger said he had conducted "fact-finding interviews" with 26 employees regarding claims of sexual harassment.

Through the interviews, Nenninger concluded Tarrillion had "created a hostile work environment by his behavior and statements to various employees that he had sex with" several women, including at least two department employees.

"This created an atmosphere (real or imagined) that sex with the chief or sharing of information about sexual conquests benefited some employees with promotions, equipment and preferred schedules," Nenninger wrote.

Tarrillion also was accused of harassing male officers. In his report, Nenninger listed at least 10 people who said they had witnessed Tarrillion "grabbing or slapping male genitalia since he became chief.

"Witnesses said that the chief routinely went around the office singing various made up songs wherein he rhymed the officer's name and finished with 'he is so gay,'" Nenninger wrote.

The witnesses' names were redacted from the copy of the report released Wednesday.

The report further accused Tarrillion of using department employees "to monitor his paramours" and "further his sexual exploits"; showing "partially nude pictures of several women to several officers"; failing to discipline an employee who left a sexually explicit instant message on a department computer because he and the employee had affairs with the woman to whom the message was sent; and giving preferential treatment to certain officers because of their connections to various people.

Nenninger said he based his interview questions on a list of 31 issues raised by a department employee.

He described the interviews as "nonconfrontational" and said some employees initially were reluctant to answer his questions.

Aftermath

The release of the report came nine months to the day after city officials met with the employee who first accused Tarrillion of misconduct and one day after an election in which voters shot down a ballot measure that could have made it easier to fire a chief.

Under state law, Perryville -- which is organized as a fourth-class city -- must elect a city marshal to serve as police chief unless voters agree to make the office an appointed position.

Tarrillion's status as an elected official created headaches for the city when the allegations against him surfaced.

While appointed employees can be fired, elected officials cannot be removed from their positions without formal impeachment proceedings.

In her statement, Gahan said Tarrillion chose to resign rather than face impeachment.

"Mr. Tarrillion has indicated his investigation and the recent election were somehow connected, believing the first was conducted only to secure the latter," Gahan said. "We would like to finally and categorically say that this is untrue, and Mr. Tarrillion was not removed from office so we could pursue some ulterior goal of an appointed chief. Mr. Tarrillion was investigated for being a corrupt and abusive leader, simply put. ... Mr. Tarrillion certainly had the option to proceed with an impeachment hearing, at which point all this information would have been made public much, much sooner."

Tarrillion resigned under a memorandum of understanding requiring the city to pay him to the end of his term unless he finds other work or is convicted of a crime.

In the wake of Tarrillion's departure, an advisory committee recommended the Perryville board of aldermen ask voters to let the city appoint its chief with input from a five-member citizens committee.

Perryville residents rejected the idea Tuesday, voting 1,213 to 117 against it.

Ludwig said he respects the voters' decision, but the outcome of the election could make it difficult for the city to implement some recommendations Nenninger made in his report.

Nenninger suggested the city provide regular sexual harassment training; involve the city's human resources department in job interviews and police department policy changes; and clarify city policies governing use of city employees to support personal activities.

Because the police chief is elected, however, city officials have no control over the position, Ludwig said.

"How do you handle a department that's run by an elected official?" he said. "That's the challenge that the city faces. ... It's going to be an interesting balancing act. The question -- the challenge -- is if somebody walks in and says, 'I am being sexually harassed by the chief of police,' what's the next step?"

Online court records show Judge Michael Bullerdieck recused himself Friday from the criminal case against Tarrillion. Arraignment has not yet been set for the case.

epriddy@semissourian.com

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