Iredell sheriff, deputy respond to lawsuit

Iredell County Sheriff Phil Redmond and Deputy Ben Jenkins are denying all accusations that Suzanne Wick and Lisa Mangiardi leveled against them earlier this year in a sexual-harassment lawsuit.

The two mens' response, filed in U.S. District Court in Charlotte, requests that the case be dismissed based on a lack of information.

Wick and Mangiardi, both who turned to the Iredell County Sheriff's Office for help when they found themselves in abusive relationships at home, say Jenkins - a detective at the time - sexually harassed and stalked them at a time when they needed police protection the most. The two women are suing Redmond for neglecting to act on information in Wick's formal complaint about Jenkins' misconduct. Redmond demoted Jenkins to jailer after Wick complained, but Jenkins is now a road patrolman and remains on active duty at the Iredell County Sheriff's Office.

For more information on Redmond and Jenkins' response, visit www.wbtv.com or www.statesville.com.

WSOC: Sheriff isn't available for comment

Click here to watch Channel 9's evening broadcast.

WSOC to confront Iredell's sheriff

WSOC-TV Channel 9 says it has asked the Iredell County Sheriff's Office why Deputy Ben Jenkins is still on active duty, despite a second woman now accusing him of sexual harassment. The news station says it will broadcast the story at noon and on its afternoon broadcasts, beginning at 5 p.m.

Updated after the noon broadcast: According to WSOC Channel 9, the Iredell County Sheriff's Office says "the lawsuit is in their attorney's hands." Of the ICSO, the news reporter said, "they refuse to comment." Click here to watch the noon broadcast.

Second woman comes forward, accuses deputy of sexual harassment

WARNING: Please be advised that the article below contains disturbing and explicit language, much of it sexual in nature. While most of the mainstream media will likely not report on the explicits once they hear about today's filing, I feel it is important to relay the full and uncensored – albeit disturbing – details of this story.


Another victim of domestic assault is accusing Iredell County Sheriff's Deputy Ben Jenkins of sexually harassing and stalking her at a time when she needed law-enforcement protection the most.

Lisa Mangiardi - an Asheville resident and former criminal court mediator at the Iredell County Courthouse - added her name to a sexual-harassment lawsuit originally filed March 21 by Kannapolis resident Suzanne Wick. The updated lawsuit, which lists both Jenkins and Sheriff Phil Redmond as defendants, was filed late this afternoon in Iredell County Superior Court by Charlotte Attorney Joshua Van Kampen.

Mangiardi came forward after hearing of Wick's lawsuit against Jenkins and Redmond. “Lisa has been filled with misplaced guilt that Defendant Jenkins might not have been in a position to abuse Suzanne had Lisa complained earlier,” states the suit.

Wick and Mangiardi are seeking more than $10,000 in damages. 

Mangiardi, who has a masters degree in education, was hired as a part-time criminal court mediator at the Iredell County courthouse in or around September 2007. She started working full-time about a year later.

“Tellingly, it was not until Defendant Jenkins learned that Lisa was a domestic violence victim that he started to stalk and sexually harass her,” the suit reads. “She had worked in the courthouse for months before filing domestic violence charges and Defendant Jenkins had not pursued her.

“Sadly, based on Lisa and Suzanne's experiences, defendant Jenkins deliberately targets domestic violence victims because they are desperate and more vulnerable to abuse.”

Mangiardi says she turned to the Iredell County Sheriff's Office because her ex-husband was physically abusive toward her and their two children. On May 28, 2008, things turned especially violent when he “went on a rant while walking around with a knife in his back pocket,” the suit reads.

It says Mangiardi's ex-husband “threatened that he would make Lisa suffer long, painfully and slowly and that he would … end it for everyone.” Later that day, Mangiardi's ex-husband – still with the knife in his pocket – said “if he was going to pay then everyone would pay,” the lawsuit reads.

The following day, Mangiardi sought help from the Iredell County Sheriff's Office's Special Victims Unit; Detective Ernie Line – who, according to the lawsuit, was Jenkins' partner at the time – was assigned to the case.

A temporary restraining order (TRO) was issued against Mangiardi's ex-husband on May 29, 2008, and he was arrested on charges of assault on a female and communicating threats. “On June 8, 2008, the Court entered a Memorandum of Judgment," the suit states.

It says it was at that time that Mangiardi officially met Jenkins: “It appeared to Lisa at first that Defendant Jenkins was genuinely offering his support and assistance, and she needed that."


But things changed on or about June 14, 2008, when Mangiardi's ex-husband unexpectedly showed up at her house. Mangiardi believed the visit was in violation of the protective order, the suit states, and she was "confused about whether the TRO was still in place and the extent of protection from contact she had under the Memorandum of Judgment.”

At that time, according to the lawsuit, Jenkins told Mangiardi that “she should call him personally if the ex-husband came to the house again.

“He also encouraged her to meet him at the Sheriff's Domestic Violence Unit so that he could review the Memorandum of Judgment and see what he could do to help her.”

Mangiardi met with Jenkins at the sheriff's office, as the then-detective requested. It was after 5 p.m., so the sheriff's office was “relatively empty,” the suit reads.

“Defendant Jenkins escorted Lisa to an office and closed both doors, which left both of them alone. After closing the doors, Jenkins began grinding his hips and telling her, 'don't you want this,'” the suit states. “Lisa was shocked, but firmly told Defendant Jenkins that she was not interested.

“Jenkins sat down at his desk and continued gyrating in his seat, while trying to persuade Lisa to have sex with him and that no one would have to know,” the suit continues. “At one point, Jenkins also grabbed his penis and shook it, again suggesting that Lisa 'wanted this.'

Deputy Ben Jenkins

“With the doors closed, and Defendant Jenkins' status in the Domestic Violence Unit, not to mention the gun on his hip, Lisa did not feel free to go until Defendant Jenkins dismissed her,” the suit reads.

Mangiardi, like Wick, says Jenkins also stalked her: “He often reported knowing her location or inquired why she was here or there. He told her that he had been outside her house,” the lawsuit states. “Defendent Jenkins also acted very jealous and angrily accused Lisa of 'fucking' other men.”

While Mangiardi was working at the courthouse, she would routinely see Jenkins there. “During these times … Jenkins routinely simulated oral sex in Lisa's direction by pressing his tongue to his cheek and using his hand to simulate a penis entering his mouth,” the suit reads. “While doing the gesture, he would solicit Lisa for sex.

“On many other occasions, he put two fingers in a 'V' shape to his mouth and flickered his tongue simulating oral sex on a woman, while again soliciting her for sex,” it continues. “On at least one occasion in the courthouse, Defendant Jenkins also grabbed his penis and shook it, while coaxing Lisa about 'how badly she knew she wanted it'.”

The suit says Jenkins – through May 2009 – made unwelcome comments to Mangiardi, such as, “can I put my hands up your skirt?,” “just let me get a feel,” “give me a piece of that ass,” “everyone needs a friend with benefits,” “you're making me so horny,” and “I know you want it; come on, no one will ever know.”

The suit states that “several other sexual harassment incidents occurred at a Mexican restaurant near the courthouse.” There, Jenkins – often accompanied by Ernie Line - “would invite themselves to the table where Lisa was eating," the suit states. 

Jenkins would “relentlessly (tell) Lisa all the reasons why she should have sex with him. On several occasions, he also pressed his body against hers in the booth or table," it reads.

“Lisa eventually stopped eating there to avoid Defendant Jenkins.”

The lawsuit says the incidents also occurred outside the courthouse and around neighboring buildings: “On or about May 11 or 12, 2009, Defendant Jenkins gave Lisa a 'hug' for Mother's Day in an area outside the courthouse that included slipping his hands down the backside of Lisa's skirt.”

Also that month, Mangiardi says Jenkins saw her in a conference room at the Iredell County Jail while she was there for a mediation. “He stopped in the doorway and grabbed his penis and motioned with his other hand that she should call him,” the suit states.

During the time of the alleged harassment, Mangiardi “suffered extreme anxiety and depression and was diagnosed with PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder)," according to the lawsuit.

“As a single mother of four and already deathly afraid of her ex-husband, Lisa feared she could not afford the risk of reporting Defendant Jenkins,” the suit states. “Instead, she put her head down and suffered through, so she could support her family and be safe.”

But once Mangiardi read of Wick's lawsuit, she decided to come forward. The lawsuit says that Mangiardi felt guilty about what happened to Wick because she feels she could have possibly prevented it from happening if she had complained earlier. “In reality,” states the suit, “given Defendant Redmond's woeful track record of holding his deputies accountable, it's at least as likely that Defendant Redmond would not have taken effective remedial action even had she complained.”

Iredell County Sheriff Phil Redmond

Jenkins' alleged harassment of Mangiardi ended in May 2009. Interestingly, Suzanne Wick says he began harassing her in February or March of that same year.

Jenkins, 45, began working for the sheriff's office in August 2002 and was demoted from his position as detective in 2009 after Wick complained of his sexual advances.


Redmond is named in the women's lawsuit for neglecting to act on Wick's information and complaints against Jenkins.

One week after Redmond was most recently re-elected as Iredell County's sheriff, Jenkins began being promoted, from jailer back to deputy sheriff in November 2010. He was promoted back to detective on Nov. 7, 2011. But just two weeks after he was promoted, on Nov. 23, 2011, he was demoted back to deputy sheriff.

He is currently a road patrolman, making $38,972.04 a year.

Senate race heats up as MI Connection takes center stage

If the government owns the media, how does it stay neutral when it comes to political advertisements?

That was one of many concerns raised in 2006 when the towns of Mooresville and Davidson were considering the purchase of the bankrupt Adelphia cable television system.

And the issue reared its head this week when Karen Ray – seeking the 44th District N.C. Senate seat – suggested in a news release that the towns' $92.5 million cable company, now MI Connection, and its marketing partner, ViaMedia, refused to run her campaign ad because it is critical of her opponent, Chris Carney, who voted to purchase the cable system as a Mooresville commissioner in 2007.

The ad, called “Just Like Obama,” criticizes Carney for favoring big business and government bailouts.

“MI Connection, through its partner ViaMedia, had been airing a Karen Ray ad titled 'Fighter' for the past three weeks without issue,” Ray's release stated. “As of midnight Thursday, MI-Connection stopped airing all advertisements bought and paid for by the Ray campaign.The cable company ignored repeated demands on Friday to air the ad.”

“This is America,” said Ray, who also threatened legal action against MI Connection. “Candidates have the right to take issue with their opponents’ actions. MI Connection’s censorship of my campaign is a very serious matter. They are only in business because of taxpayers’ money, and now they are violating my First Amendment Rights because they don’t agree with me.”

MI Connection CEO David Auger said it isn't political. It's simply a matter of company policy:

“ViaMedia, the agency that handles advertising sales for MI Connection, had been running a political ad placed by Ms. Ray for at least a couple of weeks,” he said. “Late last week, she submitted a new copy to replace the old ad. The ad was forwarded by ViaMedia to their legal and management team for review.”

All “spots” - political or not – are reviewed in ViaMedia's corporate office prior to airing, said Auger. Political ads in particular, he said, are “flagged” if they are slanderous/libelous or inaccurate. Ray's ad is inaccurate because it says the cable system cost the towns $96 million instead of $92.5 million, said Auger.

“If a political advertisement falls into one of these two categories, it is forwarded to corporate (ViaMedia) legal counsel,” he added. “If legal deems the ad inappropriate, the CEO of MI Connection (or the equivalent in the other operations that they represent) is contacted and reviews the ad. At that point, a decision is reached and the candidate placing the ad is contacted.

“This policy is similar to the policies I've had in place at the media properties I've managed previously (cable systems and a newspaper),” Auger said.

He said as of close of business on Friday, Ray's ad was still being reviewed by legal counsel.

While ViaMedia was reviewing the ad, Auger said the company “offered to run the old ad.” However, he said, Ray's campaign replied “'absolutely not'.”

“I became aware of the situation Monday, April 23 at 9:24 a.m. when one of the newspapers forwarded to me a copy of Ms. Ray's press release,” Auger said. “I reviewed the ad, noted the inaccuracies, and ordered it to be aired.”

The ad started airing Monday.

Auger said he called Ray and left her a voicemail on Monday morning. But “as of 3:27 p.m. April 24, she has not returned my call,” he said.

Ray, in her news release, also states that she was troubled by an e-mail forwarded by ViaMedia to her campaign that calls Carney “an executive with MI-Connection.”

“We were unaware of his position, given that Chris has not disclosed his association with the State Ethics Commission,” Ray said. “I have instructed my elections law attorney to begin preparing the necessary documentation for a formal complaint to be filed with that board.”

Carney was quick to point out that the assertion is untrue: “I can't help what a third-party puts in e-mails,” he said. “But Ms. Ray's campaign could have simply considered its source and performed a quick fact-check that would have revealed I am not on MI Connection's payroll, nor have I ever been an executive of the company or been involved in any of its decision-making.”

Instead, he said, “Ms. Ray and her campaign were content to take an unfounded and untrue statement by an uninformed third party and send it, as it was truth, to every news outlet in this area.”

“I think Ms. Ray's actions speak for themselves, and voters are smart enough to see that if a candidate is willing to be so careless as to take something someone says as truth without first checking her facts, we don't want her making laws for us in Raleigh.”

While ViaMedia representatives did not respond to Report e-mails this week, asking why they would call Carney an executive with MI-Connection, David Auger said, “Chris Carney is not an employee or executive of MI Connection, and he has never been on the MI Connection payroll.”

Carney is currently serving as senator after being appointed in December to fulfill the term of the late Jim Forrester. He, Ray and David Curtis – all Republicans – will face off in the May 8 primary. The top vote getter will then face a Democratic challenger in November.

The Report is now on Facebook

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