Judge Sides with City of Greenwood in Lawsuit by Former Greenwood Officer

Court of Law and Justice Trial Session: Imparcial Honorable Judge Pronouncing Sentence, striking Gavel. Focus on Mallet, Hammer.

Source: Photo: (gorodenkoff/getty images)

GREENWOOD, Ind.–A federal judge in Indianapolis ruled in favor of the city of Greenwood in a lawsuit brought by a former Greenwood Police Department officer.

That former officer, Sam Bowen, had sued the city and the department for wrongful termination in 2023 after being suspended without pay for violating the department’s technology policy.

Bowen was terminated by the Police Merit Commission in October 2023 for using the department’s technology to send offensive messages.

The judge said Bowen’s actions compromised the community’s trust in the police department.

Bowen was one of five officers accused of using the department’s technology to send anti-Semitic, racial and homophobic rhetoric. They were eventually terminated by the Police Merit Commission.

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