×

Plaintiffs in West Virginia State Police Lawsuit Speak Out

WHEELING — A pair of Northern Panhandle law enforcement officers recently spoke publicly about the lawsuit they’re joining against the West Virginia State Police, where 70 women claim they were secretly recorded while in the women’s locker room at the WVSP Academy.

Megan Talkington and Brenda Lesnett both discussed the case with CNN this past week. Their attorney, Teresa Toriseva of Wheeling, confirmed that both officers worked locally, but were not divulging the offices for which they work.

The situation was made public in March, when Gov. Jim Justice confirmed the WVSP was under investigation. One of the allegations was that a now-deceased State Police employee placed cameras in the women’s locker room at the State Police Academy in Institute.

When three troopers discovered a thumb drive containing the videos from the locker room, one of the troopers attempted to destroy the thumb drive by smashing it with their boot.

“The very biggest allegation that is to not be tolerated in any way is that we have violated — at our State Police level — women’s rights,” Justice said in March. “I don’t know how many things can be much, much worse than that. Wouldn’t you absolutely think that a women’s locker room ought to be a safe place?”

The situation cost former WVSP Superintendent Jan Cahill his job. Jack Chambers was named interim superintendent.

Toriseva now represents dozens of women seeking monetary and injunctive relief from the state police.

She told CNN that 15 of the women she represents were minors at the time they used the WVSP Academy locker room.

Lesnett told CNN she was “shocked” and “appalled” at learning of the recordings, growing angrier the more she thought about it. She said she still feels exposed due to the situation.

“I’m constantly wondering who’s going to see me next? Who has already seen me? It’s very nerve-wracking,” she said.

“Am I going to have to deal with this the rest of my life?” she continued. “Ten years from now is it going to show up on the dark web? … Every woman that has gone through the academy or for law enforcement training is a victim.”

Talkington told CNN that she is concerned about reprisals against her and Lesnett for speaking out publicly. Yet the two feel it’s important to do so.

Talkington also told CNN she would discourage her daughter from joining law enforcement in West Virginia because of this.

“I would tell her, ‘No,'” she said. “I would not want my daughter to walk through the halls of the West Virginia State Police Academy until there’s reform. I just don’t think she’d be safe.”

Starting at $2.99/week.

Subscribe Today