MCKINNEY, Texas — Collin County Commissioners unanimously agreed Monday to settle an amended lawsuit against the Collin County District Attorney's Office by three current and three former employees of that office.
The suit accused District Attorney Greg Willis and First Assistant District Attorney Bill Wirskye of sexually harassing multiple women who work or have worked in the district attorney's office, and of retaliating against them when they refused to comply with their sexual advances.
In a statement released by Collin County Judge Chris Hill, he also claims the lawsuit falsely claimed members of the Commissioners Court were aware of the misconduct in the office and refused to take action.
The statement goes onto say the Commissioners Court engaged an independent legal firm to investigate the allegations immediately upon learning of them. That investigator talked with more than 30 current and former employees at the DA's office, who they say discovered numerous inconsistencies, inaccuracies and false statements in the allegations. Multiple employees also reportedly directly disputed many of the lawsuit's allegations.
"As the female leadership in the Collin County District Attorney's Office, we would like to issue this statement in support of District Attorney Greg Willis and First Assistant Bill Wirskye," said 11 current female chief prosecutors in the Collin County DA's Office. "They have cultivated an environment that empowers women and supports working mothers. We are proud to continue to seek justice alongside their leadership."
The Commissioners Court said in the statement they ultimately concluded the allegations were unfounded and refused to settle claims of sexual misconduct and sexual harassment, along with allegations against court members.
"In spite of the Court's objections, the county's insurance company was concerned about the potential costs of litigation and any potential judgment, and the insurer offered the six plaintiffs $1.75 million to settle the lawsuit," the statement reads. "The six plaintiffs amended their lawsuit, retracting the allegations of sexual harassment and sexual misconduct, retracting all allegations against the Court members, and retracting the allegations against the District Attorney and the First Assistant District Attorney."
The plaintiffs alleged in an amended filing that they suffered retaliation and subsequently accepted the settlement offer.
Afterward, the three remaining employees resigned from their employment with the county, the statement added, as a condition of the settlement agreement.
"The Commissioners and I take allegations such as these very seriously, and they deserve nothing less than a full, thorough, and impartial investigation," Hill said in a statement. "The Commissioners Court responded with appropriate care and vigilance, and I am now convinced that these allegations were without merit. I am thankful for the leadership and the service of Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis and First Assistant Bill Wirskye."
Originally the suit alleged that "District Attorney Greg Willis treats female employees as objects that, without their consent, must gratify his sexual impulses and personal vanity, while First Assistant Bill Wirskye runs the office as a crass, misogynistic fraternity complete with systemic hazing of the County's attorneys, investigators and staff."
The suit also alleged the Collin County Commissioners Court, including Hill, has known of the misconduct for years and has only enabled it by not taking remedial action or conducting any investigation.
"Only in recent weeks has the Commissioners Court initiated a review of these charges, but on information and belief, it did so solely for the self-interested purpose of evaluating Collin County’s legal liabilities arising from the Commissioners Court’s acquiescence to the abuses that Mr. Willis and Mr. Wirskye have committed on the Plaintiffs in this case and to other employees in the District Attorney’s Office," the suit stated.
One of the complainants, chief investigator at the time, Kim Pickrell, alleged in the lawsuit that Willis made unwanted sexual advances toward her, along with routine and unwelcome efforts at flirting with her.
"On one specific occasion, [Willis] 'needed help' on an electronic document located on his computer and invited [Pickrell] over to his computer area," the suit read. "Once she was in place, he began to stroke her hand with his hand. Quite frequently, he would give her full frontal body hugs while pressing her breasts into his chest, rubbing her lower back with his hands and moaning."
The suit alleged that Willis' conduct towards Pickrell became more threatening once he realized she was not receptive toward his sexual advances or attempts at flirting, and that he at that point began berating and belittling her frequently.
"Defendant Willis would make Chief Pickrell do 'role play' scenarios where he would pretend to be her and he would require her to play the DA," the suit said. "Whereas role play can be a useful management exercise, he used it as a means to groom, flirt, make sexual advances and assert control."
