Alaska News

Safety department appointee denies account of sexual harassment

The new state Department of Public Safety Commissioner Chuck Kopp on Tuesday denied a history of sexual harassment while he was police chief in Kenai.

Stories of inappropriate conduct by Kopp toward a former employee surfaced after Gov. Sarah Palin abruptly replaced commissioner Walt Monegan with Kopp on Friday.

Asked at a press conference to get his side of the sexual harassment allegations, Kopp responded: "There has never been a sexual harassment allegation that resulted in a lawsuit or a settlement by the city of Kenai."

Asked how many complaints have been filed against him, he said: "I do not have a history of complaints. Obviously, there has been a source that has talked about an incident, and anything that would be a personnel matter with another individual I would not be able to comment on. But, again, I just want to encourage you guys, there is absolutely nothing in my record that I'm ashamed of. There's no skeletons in my closet."

Asked again how many complaints have there been, Kopp said: "There's only one that I've ever been, ah, that has ever happened. Period. And I don't want to comment on that."

Palin knew of the accusation before she picked Kopp, her spokeswoman Sharon Leighow said. She looked into it and found it to be unsubstantiated, Leighow said. The governor still supports Kopp, she said.

On Sunday, a Kenai Peninsula woman e-mailed Palin that Kopp is "a dishonest, manipulative bully" who once sexually harassed her.

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The woman, whom the Daily News has agreed not to name, said Tuesday she worked for Kopp in 2005 as his assistant. Kopp repeatedly asked her for hugs and a once kissed her cheek, she said. When she objected to his behavior, he reprimanded her, she said.

She reported the incidents to another supervisor, who took it to the city council, she said. It was also reported to the Alaska Police Standards Council.

Her claims were substantiated, she said, and she was given a different boss.

A city councilman at that time, Joe Moore, said any personnel matters are confidential.

The police standards council said it would not reveal information about investigations into unethical behavior unless it resulted in the officer having his badge taken away.

Find Megan Holland online at adn.com/contact/mholland or call 257-4343.

By MEGAN HOLLAND

mholland@adn.com

Megan Holland

Megan Holland is a former reporter for the Anchorage Daily News.

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