TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Julia Wilburn on Feb 16, 2024

A group of women suing Johnson City and multiple police officers is now accusing city officials of victim-shaming, pushing back against public statements suggesting they deserve blame for being victims of an alleged serial rapist, the Tennessee Lookout reports. Johnson City Manager Cathy Ball has said the victims could be, to some degree, “at fault” for their assaults because they “consumed and partook of illegal drugs.” The lawsuit alleges mishandling of the investigation into local businessman, Sean Williams, and claims officers with the Johnson City Police Department took hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash from Williams while refusing to take meaningful steps to "stop his sexually predatory behavior," News Channel 9 reported in December. “Survivors deserve to be treated with respect,” one Jane Doe said. Ball said in a statement that “protecting victims and the community is the top priority of the Johnson City Police Department."