First appeared in NewsBreak
By Aron Solomon
In a case that has been progressing slowly for several months, Wheeling lawyer Teresa Toriseva has issued a notice of legal action against Interim WVSP Superintendent Colonel Jack Chambers and West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey. This notice reveals that 42 women, including 10 minors, are preparing to file lawsuits against the West Virginia State Police, marking a disturbing turn of events.
The legal action stems from a deeply troubling revelation outlined in a letter sent by Cpl. Joseph Comer, a member of the WV State Police, to state lawmakers, Governor Jim Justice, and the Attorney General’s office on February 16. According to the letter, a hidden camera or cameras were placed and operated inside the female locker room at the State Police Academy.
What is even more concerning is that Toriseva claims her clients, including the underage participants in the Junior Trooper Academy, utilized the locker room during the same period the anonymous letter alleges the cameras were in use. Shockingly, Toriseva asserts that the secret videotaping of women at the Academy continued until 2020, coinciding with the discontinuation of the Junior Trooper Program.
During her ongoing investigation, Toriseva has uncovered widespread sexual misconduct, including hidden videotaping, targeted at female cadets and others attending the Academy. She has provided witness-provided evidence to support these claims.
Toriseva emphasizes that the women who were unknowingly videotaped have experienced various levels of physical and emotional abuse. In her letter, she told 7News, “All of these women were victims of a civil conspiracy perpetrated by instructors, staff, and leadership at the West Virginia State Police Academy.” Consequently, the victims intend to seek all available damages under the law through their lawsuits.
As a result of these revelations, West Virginia State Police Superintendent Jan Cahill resigned from his position on March 20. Governor Jim Justice appointed Jack Chambers as Cahill’s replacement and expressed his expectation that Chambers would thoroughly investigate the allegations and address any issues within the WVSP.
Governor Justice condemned these allegations as a violation of women’s rights, emphasizing that a women’s locker room should be considered a “safe place.” He urged Chambers to conduct a comprehensive investigation and hold accountable those responsible for these reprehensible acts. While acknowledging the presence of bad actors, the governor stressed the importance of not disregarding the dedicated work of the state police as a whole.
In addition to the 42 women, Toriseva is also representing three current and former female troopers and three additional minors who have filed separate notices of intent to sue. Furthermore, four other women have initiated a lawsuit in Kanawha Circuit Court with different lawyers.
Pittsburgh lawyer, Jason Matzus, observed that this is not only a remarkably serious issue, it is a legally complex one:
“The women who are part of these legal actions state that they have suffered various harms, such as sexual assault, anxiety, humiliation, invasion of privacy, emotional distress, and a diminished capacity to find joy in life. These cases emphasize the pressing need for justice and accountability to safeguard and uphold women’s rights within law enforcement agencies. While this is, today, a newsworthy West Virginia issue, it absolutely has national application.”
The eyes of the nation are now deservedly upon West Virginia to see if a state run by a governor named Justice can find some for close to 50 women who haven’t been adequately protected by the processes of the state.
About Aron Solomon
A Pulitzer Prize-nominated writer, Aron Solomon, JD, is the Chief Legal Analyst for Esquire Digital and the Editor-in-Chief for Today’s Esquire. He has taught entrepreneurship at McGill University and the University of Pennsylvania, and was elected to Fastcase 50, recognizing the top 50 legal innovators in the world. Aron has been featured in Forbes, CBS News, CNBC, USA Today, ESPN, TechCrunch, The Hill, BuzzFeed, Fortune, Venture Beat, The Independent, Fortune China, Yahoo!, ABA Journal, Law.com, The Boston Globe, YouTube, NewsBreak, and many other leading publications.
