Ogle v. Jones Et Al

On July 11, 2024, the jury awarded Ogle $4 million in compensatory and punitive damages against Jones. She also received $1.95 million in compensatory damages against Anderson County.

Case Background

The lawsuit was filed on June 30, 2020, by Plaintiff Amy Ogle in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee, Knoxville Division with case number 3:20-cv-293. The case was assigned to District Judge Charles E. Atchley, Jr. and referred to Magistrate Judge Jill E. McCook. The plaintiff alleged violations of her constitutional rights under the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, as well as violations of the Tennessee Human Rights Act. Ogle claimed she was subjected to persistent sexual harassment, a hostile work environment, and retaliation during her employment as a Deputy Clerk in the Anderson County Circuit Court Clerk's office.

Cause

Amy Ogle began working as a full-time Deputy Clerk in the Anderson County Circuit Court Clerk's office in November 2016. Throughout her employment, William T. Jones, the Circuit Court Clerk, repeatedly subjected Ogle to unwanted sexual advances, inappropriate comments, and physical touching. Jones called Ogle his "prissy bitch," made comments about her breasts, asked to see her breasts, invaded her personal space for "booby hugs," sent explicit messages and pornographic images via Snapchat, showed her pornography on his phone, and implied she would get a raise if she complied with his advances. When Ogle rebuffed Jones' advances in July 2017, he retaliated by transferring her to the "clerk's graveyard" office in Oak Ridge. Jones made it clear he was "the boss" and above the law. The clerk's office had no policy for reporting harassment. Ogle felt she had no recourse and had to endure the hostile work environment to remain employed. In November 2017, Ogle went on medical leave. When her leave expired in February 2018, Jones implied he would only allow her to return to work if she signed a false statement denying his sexual harassment. Ogle felt compelled to resign rather than comply with this intolerable condition.

Injuries

As a direct result of Jones' persistent sexual harassment and the hostile work environment he created, Amy Ogl