I found out a few weeks ago that the city of Byrnes Mill hired Bob Sweeney to be its city attorney. I opined then that the council must not be familiar with Google, because a quick search would have let them know this was a bad move (unless they want to get in on his hijinks).
On a related note, Byrnes Mill just hired a new police chief, C. Michael Seibert. I wonder, when the mayor and aldermen did so, if they were aware that a policewoman from Bolivar, Missouri, where he served as chief until June 2011, filed an Missouri Commission on Human Rights (MCHR) complaint, and then filed a lawsuit, against the city of Bolivar due to alleged discrimination by her superiors at the police department there. The complaints portray a department that from the top down was hostile to Amanda Blake, the only female officer in the department. The case, in the process of being tried in Polk County, is Amanda Blake vs. City of Bolivar, case number 12PO-CC00015. A status review hearing is set for March 14.
When reading the Leader article about Seibert’s hiring, I thought it was odd that “he retired from his job in Bolivar when a new mayor was elected.” I’m not sure why that in itself would require an unforced resignation. Furthermore, he didn’t resign to retire, but to become a mere deputy sheriff in Polk County. It turns out he announced his resignation (in April 2011) about six weeks before Blake filed her MCHR complaint against the Bolivar police. She was fired in November 2010. Maybe the complaint and the resignation are related. Coverage in the Bolivar paper (for which I paid $1 to access) does not suggest any link, and is favorable to the chief.
Seibert does have some strong points on his resume, including being named 2007 Outstanding Missouri Police Chief and serving as treasurer of the Missouri Police Chiefs Association. However, the allegations in the complaint and lawsuit are troubling. I have to believe the subject of this lawsuit came up during Seibert’s job interview. I don’t know if there are any lady cops in Byrnes Mill, but if there are, they have to be a bit unsettled if they know about this lawsuit.
Note: Byrnes Mill isn’t the only city in Jefferson County that employs a police chief that is the subject of a discrimination lawsuit. The other one’s last name rhymes with ‘hockey’ and he is the chief of a city that’s name rhymes with ‘carnold.’
Jefferson County Penknife 
Sweeney?….check, Sexual Harassment?….check. Missouri Police Chiefs Association?…..check. Corrupt Municipality?……check. The coincidences are staggering, right down to the fact that both Shockey and Seibert are involved in the Leadership of the Mo Police Chiefs Assoc. Perhaps they know each other from there? Perhaps Sweeney was recommended for his skill in keeping these sorts of issues buried? The parallels are stunning.
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You connected a few more dots than I did with your comment. Is Sweeney franchising his small town corruption business?
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Sure seems like it. I do not believe in coincidences. A bit like the coincidence that it looks like the process server went to serve Kevin Garrison of PIS Investigations at the supposed address of record, only to find out that PIS is actually not at the address, Garrison’s accountant (who apparently keeps track of the amount of taxes he is in arrears to the state) is. What a legitimate operation…..
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Fire the last Chief for eithics violations…hire the next one with a sexual discrimination suit hanging over is head from the last place. Even if some of the allegations from the former officer are true, it sure looks like the Chief didn’t have much control over his department….. and has a an explosive temper too. Do these people do background investigations? Who is he friends with? This was your best candidate?
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