LMPD :: Louisville Metro Police Department
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Former Audubon Park Police sergeant claims he was harassed and wrongfully fired

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Kile Nave has worked in law enforcement for over twenty years, but for the last year he's been unemployed.

"It's just so hard for me to comprehend that this may be the end of what I wanted to do until I was much older than what I am now," said Nave. After about three years with the Audubon Park Police Department, he was laid off in August 2012.

"Basically after the second complaint, he fired my client, and we believe that was retaliatory in nature," said Nave's lawyer Bryan Gatewood. Gatewood is referring to complaints filed by Nave regarding harassment.

In a civil suit, Nave's lawyer claims his client was wrongfully fired after filing complaints regarding alleged harassment by his supervisor, Ronald Jones. Nave claims over the course of three years, Jones frequently called him names and used gay slurs.

"We were at the firing range one day and he started to tell a gay joke in front of me and my colleagues, and I asked him not to, and he went ahead and told it," said Nave. "My colleagues were shocked. They couldn't believe it."

On one occasion, Nave said, former Deputy Chief Ronald Jones used told his colleagues that Nave was on medical leave because he had received injuries from a sexual act with his boyfriend.

"I kept thinking it was going to go away, that he was going to have enough and lay off, but it just continued, continued, and continued."

Nave was fired in 2012. At his request, he says, he received a hearing over the firing this past May.

Despite testimony by five officers, Nave said the city ruled in favor of the Police Department. "I was told that the officers that I listed as witnesses gave statements that said they didn't remember anything, but the officers told me point blank they told them exactly what was said but the interviewing officer didn't take anything down."

Ultimately, Nave said, it's not just about his inability to find a job now, it's about standing up against discrimination. "I don't care if you're gay, straight, pink, orange, whatever, I think everyone deserves respect."