T.J. McDermott

Missoula County Sheriff’s Deputy Travis Wafstet filed a Human Rights Bureau complaint against Sheriff T.J. McDermott.

The Montana Human Rights Bureau has sided with Missoula County Sheriff T.J. McDermott in a dispute involving former Undersheriff Josh Clark.

The name is very familiar, Rich Maricelli. The retired Captain of Detectives for the Missoula County Sheriff's Office has returned to duty as the newly appointed Undersheriff, to replace the newly retired Jason Johnson.

After over 20 years in law enforcement, Missoula County Undersheriff Jason Johnson has announced his retirement to go into business in Missoula.

The attorney for fired Missoula County Sheriff's Deputy Paige Pavalone said on Wednesday that the case against the county and the sheriff's office has moved another step forward with the Montana Human Rights Bureau.

Former Missoula County Undersheriff Josh Clark is seeking damages totaling $750,000 after the Montana Human Rights Bureau found that current Sheriff T.J. McDermott had discriminated against Clark by "demoting" him to patrol, but Sheriff McDermott says that claim amount is "highly unreasonable."

KGVO News has learned that attorneys for Josh Clark, the former Undersheriff of the Missoula County Sheriff's Office, offered a proposed settlement through the Montana Human Rights Bureau of nearly $1 million, but said they would settle for damages of $750,000.

Will a political discrimination lawsuit end up costing Missoula County hundreds of thousands of dollars?

There is a brotherhood within the nationwide law enforcement community, and when one member is struck down by senseless violence, all are affected.

The findings of a Human Rights Bureau investigation into the actions of Sheriff T.J. McDermott were released today, September 3, and indicate that Sheriff McDermott discriminated against his political rival Josh Clark when demoting him to a patrol position after the 2014 election.