Incident occurred after party at Mocksville barRALEIGH (AP) ó A former North Carolina trooper fired after what authorities say was a drunken sexual encounter with the wife of a subordinate is trying to get his job back.
The News & Observer of Raleigh reported Tuesday that Sgt. Timothy White, 39, of Salisbury was fired June 2 from the Highway Patrol. Documents at the state Office of Administrative Hearings indicate he was fired after he continued to contact the other trooper’s wife even though he had been told to stay away from her.
White was terminated for personal conduct unbecoming of an officer. He’s appealing, claiming he was being treated more harshly than other troopers accused of similar behavior.
A state report indicates that White had a sexual encounter with the wife of Master Trooper Eric B. Perdue at a party on Dec. 17.
White told The News & Observer that he only remembers kissing the woman.
White said he drank about nine beers at the party, which was held at a bar in Mocksville. Perdue was White’s subordinate and is listed as a witness to the incident because officials say he was sitting in the front seat. A third trooper was driving them home.
White said Friday that Perdue’s wife made advances toward him and he regrets not resisting. But, he added, nothing he did was worthy of his being fired.
“She was very impaired that night,” White said. “So was her husband. So was I.”
Perdue, 32, who separated from his wife in January, said Monday that a state lawyer advised him not to comment about the case. He said he asked his wife not to respond to reporters’ questions.
He said he and his wife are “trying to work things out.”
The Christmas party was held at a bar that was closed to the public for the event, which was attended by law enforcement officers, attorneys and magistrates, White said.
“All I can tell you is that it was an off-duty Christmas party,” White said. “I didn’t drive. I didn’t violate any state laws. They’re saying I should have stopped her.”
According to state records, White kissed and groped Perdue’s wife, who then performed a sex act on White. The incident did not occur in a state-owned vehicle, and the troopers involved were not in uniform, a patrol spokesman said.
Since 1998, state records show at least 27 cases of sexual misconduct by troopers either on or off duty. Some troopers were fired, but several who had extramarital affairs or behaved inappropriately were given lesser punishments and later were promoted.
Capt. Everett Clendenin, spokesman for the Highway Patrol, said off-duty sexual behavior could lead to dismissal, depending on the circumstances. Troopers holding supervisory ranks are held to a higher standard, he said.
An administrative hearing on White’s dismissal is scheduled for Dec. 14.