Two former employees of the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office are suing the county in federal court.  Former Nevada county Sheriff’s Lt. Bill Evans claims he was subjected to a hostile work environment and forced to retire;  and his wife, Yvonne Davada Evans, who  was a former accounting assistant  in the Sheriff’s Department  claims she was retalliated against after she complained of  sexual harassment by then undersheriff Richard Kimball.  Kerry Schaffer, the Santa Rosa based attorney who filed the suit, says the sexual harassment occurred just after Yvonne   had divorced her then-husband,  Keith Cantrell in 2008.

Click here to listen to Attorney Kerry Schaffer

According to the complaint Yvonne Cantrell complained to her union steward about Kimball’s behavior. Not long after that  Yvonne married Lt. Bill Evans  and   her ex husband Keith Cantrell calls the sheriff.

Click here to listen to Attorney Kerry Schaffer

Sheriff Keith Royal says An investigation was launched and Yvonne Evans was eventually arrested and charged with four misdemeanor counts of withholding funds for the alleged theft of $13,000 in public funds .

Click here to listen to Sheriff Keith Royal

Sheriff Royal says Yvonne Evans was placed on administrative leave in September 2010 and she was fired in May ,2011.
Click here to listen to Sheriff Keith Royal

The case went to trial but the charges against Yvonne Evans were  dismissed when a judge ruled the filing was past the one year statute of limitations for misdemeanors.
The suit also asks for damages based on violations of the couple’s First Amendment and Fourth Amendment rights.  County Counsel  will have 30 days to respond to the complaint.