Fairview police chief accused of sexual misconduct

The town of Fairview's police chief has found himself at the center of two federal lawsuits amid allegations that he sexually harassed and discriminated against a former female employee.

In the first suit, former Fairview police officer Lisa Mitchell alleges Chief Granver Tolliver subjected her to sexual harassment and repeatedly passed her up for promotions in favor of less qualified male candidates.

Mitchell began working for the department in 2005. She alleges the harassment began in March 2009, when a USB flash drive was left on her desk containing photos of Tolliver having sex with a woman wearing a wedding ring "by" the back seat of a Fairview PD patrol car.

The lawsuit, which lists both Tolliver and the town as defendants, says the abuse escalated in fall 2010, when Tolliver told Mitchell he wanted to make her a sergeant in the next 12 to 15 months but added that "he would not be able to control himself if he had to work around her for long periods of time" and that he would "have to fire her to [expletive] her."

The same complaint alleges Tolliver told Mitchell she would be promoted if she earned both associate's and bachelor's degrees, but that Tolliver promoted three male officers with no such qualifications after Mitchell received her associate's and while she was studying for her bachelor's.

The suit also alleges Tolliver grabbed Mitchell by her pony tail and whispered graphic sexual threats to her in October 2011. It says Mitchell did not complain about the abuse while she was employed by the department out of fear of retaliation. She quit in November of that year.

In the other lawsuit, another former Fairview police officer, Oliver Price, alleges the town fired him after he was asked by then-Town Manager John Godwin for information about the photos on the USB drive and other instances in which he witnessed Tolliver harassing Mitchell. The suit, filed Monday, alleges Price was assured he would not face retaliatory action for divulging the information and complied with Godwin's request.

The suit says an officer visited Price's home two days after the alleged meeting, saying he knew Price had spoken to Godwin and warned him to "throw himself at the mercy" of the chief if he wanted to keep his job. Price was terminated "on the grounds that he no longer supported Chief Tolliver's management style and vision for the department" a day after the alleged encounter, the suit reads.

"The allegations made against me by Ms. Mitchell and Mr. Price are false," Tolliver said in an email to The Allen American. "Since ligation has been initiated it would be unfair for me to refute any specific allegation outside a court of competent jurisdiction's venue. I respect our justice system and have no doubt that I and the Town of Fairview will be vindicated through this process."

Godwin resigned as the town manager in March to become city manager in Paris, Texas. Clark McCoy, the town's attorney, said because the suits have been filed, the town is not in a position to make a statement, though he did say the town intends to defend both suits.

The Allen American was unable to reach Godwin by press time. Mitchell's attorney was reached by telephone but declined to comment on the case.

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