A woman who was arrested and lost her job after a Louisville Metro Police officer falsely testified she stole money from her employer has been paid $150,000 by the city to settle a federal lawsuit.
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in September 2019, accused former Officer John Green of twice testifying there was surveillance video showing Shayla Simpson stole money from a safe while working at McDonald’s in the 2900 block of Breckenridge Lane.
However, the surveillance video from Aug. 15, 2018, clearly showed another employee taking the money.
Green, according to the lawsuit, never watched the video yet told McDonald’s to fire Simpson and wrongfully incarcerated her.
On Dec. 29, the city agreed to pay Simpson $150,000 with the stipulation that Metro Government acknowledges no wrongdoing, according to a settlement agreement obtained under the Kentucky Open Records.
An attorney for Simpson did not immediately return a message seeking comment.
The charges against Simpson were dropped and the other employee later pleaded guilty.
Green was indicted on perjury charges in January 2021 by a Jefferson County grand jury for knowingly giving false testimony.
Prosecutors said Green gave false testimony during an October 2018 probable cause hearing in Jefferson District Court and during a November 2018 presentation to a Jefferson County grand jury.
In addition, Green was indicted in another perjury case in December after prosecutors say he misrepresented statements of a victim that ultimately led to two women wrongfully being charged with assault.
He has pleaded not guilty in both cases, which are pending in Jefferson Circuit Court.
Attorney Steve Schroering, who represents Green, declined to comment.
Green retired from LMPD last year.
In the federal lawsuit, Simpson claims she called police on Aug. 15, 2018, when she learned the deposit from the night before was missing from the McDonald’s where she worked.
According to the suit, Green was provided with the store footage of the office where the safe was located and asked Simpson to take a polygraph.
After Simpson declined, Green and Officer Payvand Rakhshan later came to the McDonald’s while Simpson was working and, without a warrant, handcuffed her “very excessively tight,” according to the suit. Green then allegedly told her if she would take a polygraph, he would let her go back to work; if not she would go to jail.
When Simpson again refused to take the polygraph, Green took her to Metro Corrections and wrote up arrest charges for two felony counts of theft, the suit says. Green “wanted to teach (Simpson) a lesson” for refusing the polygraph, according to the suit.
Simpson claimed Green told McDonald’s they had to fire her. She says she was terminated after working at the restaurant for more than 20 years.
By Jason Riley, WDRB.com
