Former employee files suit against Dardenne Prairie

A former Dardenne Prairie city employee filed a lawsuit on Feb. 8, alleging harassment from the city’s former court administrator.

Dana Knaust, of  Wentzville, said in the petition to the court that she was forced to resign from her position as assistant court clerk on Jan. 17. Knaust alleges she was harassed on a regular basis by former court administrator Coreen Conroy who allegedly told other employees that Knaust had an inappropriate relationship with a sheriff’s deputy. Knaust, who is married, denies any inappropriate relationship.

Knaust’s attorney, Patrick Watts of Kodner Watkins Kloecker L.C., said Conroy made the false allegations about an inappropriate relationship after Knaust complained about Conroy’s extreme yelling and conduct to former City Administrator Brad Turvey.

“Nothing inappropriate ever happened and in the end (we will) show there was an ongoing rift between Coreen Conroy and my client,” Watts said.

According to the suit, Knaust met on Oct. 4, 2011, with Mayor Pam Fogarty, former City Administrator Brad Turvey and Board of Aldermen President Scott Kolbe to tell them about the harassment and hostile work environment it had created. Later that month, on Oct. 21, Knaust met again with Fogarty, Turvey and Kolbe, along with Conroy. During that meeting Knaust said Conroy repeatedly accused her of an inappropriate relationship with a sheriff’s deputy.

The suit, which names the city of Dardenne Prairie and Conroy as defendants, states Knaust was “ostracized, ridiculed, ignored and harassed by superiors and colleagues following her complaints to her supervisors regarding Defendant Conroy’s conduct.”

The suit states that Conroy made repeated and untrue comments that Knaust had an inappropriate relationship with a sheriff’s deputy following the Oct. 21 meeting until she was fired on Nov. 17. However, Conroy’s termination was unrelated to the Knaust case, according to the suit.

Knaust sent an email to Turvey and Kolbe on Oct. 24 asking for someone to stop Conroy from making false accusations against her. Nothing was done, according to the suit.

Lt. Craig McGuire, with the St. Charles County Sheriff’s Department, said the department checked into the allegations but found no wrong doing on the part of any of the county deputies.

“It appears to be a bunch of idle gossip,” McGuire said.

But Watts said Knaust will fight to defend her reputation.

“She’s not going to stand by and let her reputation be destroyed…without calling out the lies,” Watts said.

Mid Rivers Newsmagazine has left messages for Fogarty and others involved in the suit.