City Manager sued over alleged shove
Stacy Lynne is seeking $350,000 in damages
An otherwise routine Loveland City Council meeting was briefly disrupted Tuesday when Larimer County resident Bill Mawhinney announced a lawsuit against City Manager Steve Adams during public comment.
“Steve Adams you have been served,” Mawhinney said, after handing the paperwork to City Clerk Delynn Coldiron. He then exited the chambers.
The suit was filed on Tuesday in the 8th Judicial District Court by Mawhinney’s daughter Stacy
Lynne over an incident that occurred on March 29, 2022, at the Larimer County Justice Center. Lynne, an independent journalist, alleges that Adams “shoulderchecked” her as she recorded city officials exiting a courtroom following a hearing on an open records request filed by Mayor Jacki Marsh.
In June, Adams was charged with one count of misdemeanor harassment stemming from the incident. In state statutes, harassment is defined as striking, shoving, kicking or otherwise touching another person with “intent to harass, annoy, or alarm.”
Adams remained on the job as the criminal case progressed, despite calls for his suspension or termination. He later agreed to enter the court’s adult diversion program rather than go to trial. In exchange for completing community service and a conflict management course, the charge against Adams was dismissed and case records were then sealed.
After the conclusion of the criminal case, Lynne released video footage of the encounter from three sources, including her own recording taken as it happened. It does not show physical contact between Lynne and Adams, but he does appear to look and walk directly toward her and pass by at a close proximity.
Lynne remained on her feet during the incident and later denied that it caused pain to a Larimer County deputy who took her initial report.
The incident and subsequent legal case was a frequent topic of comment at Loveland City Council meetings, where detractors and supporters of the city manager sounded off for several consecutive weeks through the fall. Among the former were Marsh, who called for a special council meeting to investigate the matter, but was ultimately rebuffed by other council members.
At his annual performance review in December, Adams received a 6% raise from council, boosting his annual pay to $230,624.
In the suit, Lynne is seeking monetary relief of $350,000 for two claims: harassment and intentional infliction of severe emotional distress. She alleges that the incident with Adams led to the “untimely full stop” of her journalism work, due to, in part, “traumatic emotional and psychological impact.”
Lynne claims that she felt “unsafe” in the aftermath of the shove, which ultimately led to her hair falling out, along with trouble eating, sleeping and doing other daily activities.
She further alleges that the encounter had a “chilling effect” on her investigation into what she calls the “city of Loveland’s ongoing corruption.”
Adams has 21 days to file a response to the complaint. In an email, Loveland engagement coordinator
and public information officer Nicole Yost acknowledged the suit, but did not offer comment on Lynne’s allegations.
“The city is aware of the complaint and recognizes the importance of allowing the justice system to work through its processes and make decisions accordingly,” she wrote. “…As an organization, the City of Loveland remains focused on providing the high-level of service and dedication the Loveland community expects every day.”
Yost also indicated that Adams will not face any employment-related disciplinary action, unless directed by City Council.
There is no attorney of record for Lynne named in the complaint. In September, Denver attorney Wade Eldridge laid out the groundwork for the suit, when he served a Notice of Claim on Lynne’s behalf to Adams, the Loveland City Attorney’s office, Mayor Jacki Marsh and the Colorado Attorney General’s office.
Neither Eldridge nor Lynn responded to the Reporter-herald’s request for comment on the matter.