PARKERSBURG — A third lawsuit against Wood County Sheriff Steve Stephens and the Wood County Commission was filed Friday by a sergeant claiming violation of the West Virginia Human Rights Act and the West Virginia Whistleblower Law.

In the suit, Sgt. Tim Allen claims Stephens “berated” him about his relationship with fellow Deputy Tasha Hewitt on more than one occasion, threatened to demote him and called Hewitt a “gender-specific derogatory term.”

Allen’s law enforcement career in Wood County began in 2010. He joined the Parkersburg Narcotics Task Force and became a detective and a sergeant in rank.

In the suit, Allen said his career “took a turn for the worse,” when Stephens found out he was dating Hewitt in May 2019.

Hewitt started worked at the sheriff’s department in 2018 and the lawsuit claims Stephens developed an “obsession” her along with inappropriately touching her and making “offensive comments” to her.

The lawsuit said Stephens went with Hewitt to choose her uniform where he made comments about her butt.

When Allen and Hewitt started dating, the lawsuit said Stephens met with Allen where he “berated” him for dating Hewitt and called her a derogatory name. The berating continued when Allen and Hewitt moved in together and the lawsuit said Stephens threatened to “take (Allen’s) stripes.”

Allen confronted Stephens about his conduct and the suit said after that conversation, Stephens “retaliated” against Allen and Hewitt by “manipulating their work schedules,” which was an attempt to “disrupt and strain their relationship.”

The couple asked to change their work schedule to accommodate a balance between work and personal life, which Stephens denied, according to the suit.

In August 2019, Allen approached Capt. Robert Sims and “expressed his opposition to Sheriff Stephens’ treatment of (him) and Deputy Hewitt,” the lawsuit said, and around the same time, Stephens allegedly brought Allen into his office and again “berated” him and threatened to demote him.

“During the meeting, Sheriff Stephens slammed his hands on his desk and his face turned red. Sheriff Stephens attempted to embarrass (Allen) by saying ‘let’s go out there [to the other deputies and officers] and see what they think about you (expletive) [Deputy Hewitt,]'” the lawsuit said.

Stephens then sent Allen away for a 16-week training at the State Police Academy Charleston, which the suit claims was to attempt “to disrupt and strain (Allen’s) relationship with Deputy Hewitt by sending him away to the Academy.”

Former Sgt. Della Matheny, who also filed a lawsuit against Stephens last month alleging misconduct, witnessed Stephens say during a meeting that he sent Allen to the police academy to “break up their little family. I would have sent (Deputy Hewitt) to the academy but she is a little (expletive) and she would have (expletive) all the troopers down there,” the lawsuit said.

Hewitt filed a formal complaint against Stephens in March 2020, after which the county commission hired the law firm Bailey & Wyant out of Charleston to conduct an investigation. Witnesses said in the investigation that Stephens had “created a hostile work environment,” the lawsuit said.

As a result, it was the law firm’s recommendation to conduct sexual harassment training and “because of the inactions of defendant Wood County Commission, Sheriff Stephens retaliated against (Allen) and continued to create a hostile work environment.”

Deputy Nathan Forshey was hired when Hewitt went on maternity leave in March 2021 and the lawsuit said he was given the same schedule and shifts Hewitt and Allen “had been repeatedly requesting and denied over the previous two years.”

According to the lawsuit, Hewitt reached out to commission president Blair Couch to report Stephens’ conduct toward her and Allen but Couch never responded to her two voicemails.

This past July, the lawsuit said Stephens accused Sgt. Derrick Cross of “having an affair” with Hewitt. The allegations were based on Stephens’ observations of Cross’ whereabouts through the global positioning system in the police cruiser.

“In defense of Sheriff Stephens’ allegations, Sergeant Cross made disparaging comments about Deputy Hewitt,” the suit said.

Allen heard about Stephens’ allegations and Cross’ comments about Hewitt and he again talked to Sims about the “misogynistic work environment,” the lawsuit said.

Lt. David Bussey conducted an internal investigation last month and Cross and another “high-ranking” officer were “verbally disciplined for their disparaging treatment of Deputy Hewitt as a result of the internal investigation, but no further action has been taken,” the suit said.

Stephens announced his retirement last week effective Dec. 1 and the Wood County Commission will appoint his replacement to serve until an election next year.

Allen is seeking a jury trial; Couch declined to comment as it is ongoing litigation and Stephens could not be reached for comment.

Staff Reporter Evan Bevins also contributed to this report.

Candice Black can be reached at cblack@newsandsentinel.com.