Former Clovis probation officer files lawsuit against division

A former probation and parole officer in the Clovis office of the Probation and Parole Division of the New Mexico Corrections Department has filed a lawsuit in Ninth Judicial District Court challenging conditions that she alleges unfairly caused her to resign her position in December.

The suit filed by Kenda Ferguson, a former probation and parole officer, names as defendants the corrections department, her manager and supervisor in the Probation and Parole Division, Clovis city police officers and city government officials.

Ferguson claims that the defendants either contributed directly or indirectly by inaction to a situation in which she received a letter of reprimand for being late for work and absent without leave from her position on Sept. 26.

She also alleged that an investigation into alleged drug use by Ferguson was never revealed to her, and that she was never criminally charged nor tested for drugs while that investigation was ongoing.

Ferguson resigned from the post in December, her complaint states, because of unfair treatment that led to the letter of reprimand and what she called harassment. Ferguson stated Clovis police officers passed information to Ferguson’s manager leading to the drug use investigation.

Ferguson alleges that the investigation of her alleged drug use came about as police were trying to build a case against Ferguson’s brother on methamphetamine trafficking charges.

In April, Ferguson’s complaint stated, she was informed she had gotten a job at the Cibola County Detention Center only to be told the next day the job was rescinded because Ferguson was still under investigation.

Ferguson’s complaint charges the defendants with counts of creating a hostile work environment, discrimination, sexual discrimination, defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, failure to follow procedures, misuse of process and malicious use of process.

In an email, Carmina Hart, public relations manager for the Corrections Department, wrote that the department cannot respond to litigation or personnel matters. Clovis City Manager Justin Howalt emailed that the city cannot respond on such matters, either.

An email request to Clovis police for comment did not receive a response before 1 p.m. Friday.