Kansas Town Settles Lawsuit Over Newspaper Office Raid

A small town in Kansas has agreed to a settlement of $850,000 with a former reporter from its local newspaper to close her federal lawsuit. The lawsuit stemmed from a police raid on the newspaper’s offices in 2023, which sparked widespread debate on press freedom.

Federal Lawsuit and Health Issues

Phyllis Zorn, a former reporter for the Marion County Record, argued that the raid breached constitutional protections against unwarranted searches. She claimed that the incident exacerbated her health issues, causing severe seizures that had been previously managed with medication.

The lawsuit dismissal came as a joint statement from Zorn’s attorney, Randy Rathbun, and the city of Marion’s attorney, Jennifer Hill, precisely three years after the police raid. This lawsuit was one of several initiated in federal court against local authorities due to the raids. The raids targeted the newspaper’s offices, the home of Publisher Eric Meyer, and a former City Council member’s residence.

Details of the Settlement

One of Marion’s attorneys, Scott Ufford, confirmed the settlement amount but declined further comments. In defending the raid, Police Chief Gideon Cody claimed the newspaper might have engaged in identity theft or other criminal activities while accessing a driving record. However, further examination discredited the legality of the raids. Those involved, including Meyer and Zorn, perceived the raids as retaliation for robust reporting and investigations into Cody’s past police work.

The incident gained national attention, focusing on Marion, a town with around 1,900 inhabitants located approximately 150 miles southwest of Kansas City. Following the incident, Cody resigned. Tragically, Eric Meyer’s 98-year-old mother, also a co-owner of the newspaper, died the day after the raids. Meyer attributes her death to the stress caused by the event.

Ongoing Legal Proceedings

In November, Marion County had settled other related lawsuits with over $3 million, including $600,000 to Zorn. Though some lawsuits have been resolved, several remain pending, with a pretrial hearing scheduled for October 15.

Further investigations into Cody’s actions led to two special prosecutors filing a felony charge for obstruction of justice. They accused Cody of convincing a witness to withhold information from authorities. Cody pleaded not guilty, and his trial, originally slated for the end of the month, has been delayed.