City of Meadow Vale and Mayor Hornek have some 'splaining to do

Louisville, KY - The City of Meadow Vale is a class 5 city right here in Louisville. It is one of many remaining neighborhoods after Louisville-Jefferson County merger that continue on as a small city. It now has made the main stage, politically speaking of course.

How big is Meadow Vale? Not very. 

It has less than 800 total residents but it does have its own police force and now it's former Chief is suing the City of Meadow Vale, and its current Mayor Mary Hornek, for among other things, sexual harassment.

Good ole small town politics at its finest!
Former Chief of the Meadow Vale Police Department, Robert Chapman, has filed a lawsuit against the City of Meadow Vale, and Mayor Mary Hornek for alleged illegal behavior to include charges of  sexual harassment, illegally ordering him to alter time records, and ordering him to lie to the City of Meadow Vale Commission and its commissioners.

Among the allegations from the complaint itself.

Sexual Harassment:

The suit alleges that from the commencement of his employment as Chief of the Meadow Vale Police Department, Plaintiff (former Chief Chapman) was continuously and repeatedly sexually harassed by Defendant Mayor HORNEK. This harassment was occasioned by late night telephone calls, seductive conversations, and physical rubbing by Defendant HORNEK of her breasts against the shoulder of Plaintiff. Plaintiff repeatedly rebuffed these sexual advances, and importuned Defendant HORNEK to desist.

Homophobia and civil rights violations:

On several occasions, Defendant HORNEK discussed with Plaintiff the reasons she terminated his predecessor, Meadow Vale Police Chief Connie Henson; referring to Chief Henson as a “dike,” and a “lesbian.”

Falsifyng records:

Plaintiff was ordered and directed by Defendant HORNEK to alter and falsify official City of Meadow Vale documents. In particular, he was ordered to alter and falsify his employment time cards, and those of Meadow Vale Police Officer Aaron Yates, to indicate a number of hours fewer than those actually worked by Plaintiff and Officer Yates.

Illegal orders:

Plaintiff was ordered and directed by Defendant HORNEK to lie to the City of Meadow Vale Commission and commissioners.
 
On numerous occasions, Plaintiff cautioned and advised Defendant HORNEK not to destroy official documents and public records of the City of Meadow Vale. Defendant HORNEK ordered and directed Plaintiff not to discuss this destruction with any other person.
 
When Plaintiff complained to Defendant HORNEK about the sexual harassment, falsification of records, working without pay, and various other illegal directives he received from her, Defendant HORNEK told Plaintiff she would have the City of Meadow Vale Commission fire him. Defendant HORNEK then commenced a campaign of defamation against Plaintiff; culminating in his termination on June 26, 2015.

According to attorney Thomas McAdam, Former Chief Chapman did his due diligence   and reported these things to the Commissioners themselves with no results. Therein lies a major problem.


Most people in these small cities mistakenly believe that a Mayor has unlimited control and that is a fallacy in and of itself.  Commissioner's in many cases mistakenly believe that they have no personal liability for known wrongdoing. That is false as well.

In the case of Meadow Vale, as I understand it, the Mayor is a title but with no new authorities. In fact, the Mayor organizationally is nothing more than any other commissioner yet somehow is allowed to run rough shod over the City itself, including the other duly elected commissioner's.

McAdam also stated: "There seems to be a lot of strange things going on on the little town of Meadowvale. Hopefully, this lawsuit will bring to light a number of unexplained policies and financial dealings of which the citizens and taxpayers of Meadowvale are unaware."

I would concur.


There have been consistent rumors for quite some time now about Mayor Hornek and her inability, and in some cases rumored instability, to conduct the job as Mayor professionally or ethically. 

Rumors have abounded that her husband, and Anchorage Police officer, illegally uses his access to police files, and relationships to other officers in other departments, to illegally obtain records for his wife to be used against enemies that neither is allowed to have access to.

Rumors of using City resources illegally for her benefit and not the community.
 
There have been rumors of possible alleged criminal behavior in the road funds of Meadow Vale, anger control problems, and much more.

I sent an open records request months ago to the City for information regarding the road fund. Information that I, or anyone, are fully entitled to under open record laws in Kentucky.

It was ignored. 

Sounds a lot like the big City of Louisville does it not? Cover up and hide transparency we the people are entitled to? But I digress.



Chapman as a whistle blower is entitled to protection not retaliation.

Chapman has an obligation as a duly sworn public official, a Police Chief at that, to uphold the laws in Kentucky and report illegal behavior. 

The commissioners and the Mayor have a duty and an obligation to address the issues brought forth and come into compliance with the law. 

Retaliation against a whistle blower for doing their job is illegal in Kentucky and should be. Whistle blowers have federal protection as well though this case is filed in Kentucky and not the US Courts.

If the allegations prove out, and make no mistake, in my opinion they will, the entire City of Meadow Vale is on the hook for damages. All of the commissioner's can be personally on the hook for damages as well.

Whether they will be or not remains to be seen but one thing is for sure.

The City of Meadow Vale leadership, and Mayor Mary Hornek, have some serious 'splaining to do. 

We will keep you updated.


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