DRUG TASK FORCE SETTLES SEXUAL HARASSMENT CASE

HOPKINSVILLE -- The Pennyrile Narcotics Task Force has reached a
settlement with a former employee who filed a sexual harassment
lawsuit against the law enforcement agency and its director. Christian
County assistant attorney John Soyars, who represents the task force,
said an agreement has been reached among the plaintiff, Teresa D.
Cannon; the task force; and the agency's director, Cheyenne Albro.

Soyars, and Cannon's attorney, Andrew Self, both declined to release
the terms of the settlement. The two lawyers said the agreement
includes a "confidentiality provision" that prohibits either party
from discussing the terms reached.

No documents relating to the settlement have been filed with the
Christian Circuit Clerk's office.

"I don't know when that will be filed," Soyars said.

Cannon was seeking compensation from Albro and the regional task force
agency for punitive and actual damages.

The settlement marks an end in the litigation, which was set to go to
trial Sept. 21.

Cannon filed the lawsuit against Albro and the task force early last
year. She claimed Albro sexually harassed her until Jan. 27, 2003, and
fired her from work at that time. She alleged that he "engaged in
numerous and repeated acts of sexual harassment" directed at her while
employed with the law enforcement organization.

The task force has denied that it employed Cannon as a permanent
employee. Albro testified during his deposition last November that
Cannon was hired as a temporary employee to clean the task force
office here and to assist with training law enforcement officers about
methamphetamine.

However, in a letter to Cannon, Albro wrote that she was terminated on
Jan. 27, 2003. A copy of the letter is on file at the Christian County
Justice Center.

It is unknown whether Albro will remain employed by the task force as
director. Soyars said he could not comment on the matter.

Efforts to contact Muhlenberg County Judge-Executive Rodney Kirtley,
who oversees task force operations, were unsuccessful. Telephone
messages to Dan Bozarth, director of the Pennyrile Area Development
Agency, were not returned as of Friday afternoon.

Albro first met Cannon in the early 1980s when he attempted to arrest
her husband at the time for drug use, according to the deposition,
which also noted that Cannon is a convicted felon.

In a story written by The Associated Press and published in the
Kentucky New Era, Cannon credited Albro with getting her life back on
track after serving more than five months in the County Jail on
methamphetamine-related charges.

However, Cannon is now faces drug and other charges.

According to court records, Kentucky State Police arrested Cannon, 38,
in late May and charged her with first-degree possession of a
controlled substance (first offense), use or possession of drug
paraphernalia (subsequent offense), possession of marijuana, tampering
with physical evidence, possession of a police radio and manufacturing
methamphetamine (first offense).

She pleaded not guilty during a Christian District Court arraignment
on May 26. Judge Arnold Lynch on Friday released Cannon from the
County Jail following a preliminary hearing.