DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - The lawyer for a fired Iowa trooper says Facebook messages to a colleague that got him removed from duty and fired were “welcoming and friendly in nature” and not intended to harass.
Attorney Molly Hamilton says Wade Karp will file a grievance seeking reinstatement to the Iowa State Patrol.
She released Facebook messages between Karp and legislative security coordinator Shawna Ferguson. They show Karp sought to meet with Ferguson last August to speak with her about beginning a relationship.
When she declined, Karp warned that her relationship with another man was “heading in a harmful direction, if not confronted” and that he knows “you have me in mind as a dating prospect.”
When Ferguson told him she didn’t want to discuss the matter, Karp responded that he would “ask for the LORD God to help clear your heart.” The conversation ended.
Ferguson complained, and Karp was placed on leave. He was fired July 3 for “intimidating, threatening and unwelcome” behaviors.
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