FORT WORTH, Texas — A Fort Worth police captain, who was formerly a deputy chief before being demoted, is suing the city, claiming she was retaliated against by Police Chief Neil Noakes for holding officers under her command accountable.
The civil suit is asking for the captain, Paula Conaway, to be reinstated in her deputy chief position and for monetary damages between $250,000 and $1 million.
"[Conaway] insisted on accountability of the officers she commanded," the suit states. "As a result, she was retaliated against, harassed, humiliated and ultimately demoted by the Chief of Police."
In February 2021, while Conaway was still a deputy chief, the suit states she was assigned to a case surrounding an internal affairs investigation into an officer due to a traffic stop where the officer reportedly punched an unresisting driver in the face repeatedly. A grand jury case against the officer didn't lead to an indictment, afterwards, the department had 45 days to complete an internal investigation.
That time expired before the case got to Conaway for review, and once it expired, the most she could do was issue a written reprimand, which she did. This began what the suit called false accusations that Conaway was "targeting officers," which reportedly led to retaliation against Conaway.
After reviewing several incidents of another officer who had reportedly showed questionable conduct, the suit states that several officers had complained to Noakes about Conaway, and the Fort Worth Police Officers' Association sent out an email in May 2021 alleging a "fishing expedition type of body cam audits conducted on certain sides of town," but didn't name Conaway specifically – although Noakes was reportedly told it was about her.
The suit says Noakes then asked Conaway's supervisor to investigate these claims, and that supervisor later told Noakes she wasn't "fishing" or "targeting officers."
The suit lists other numerous occasions where Conaway asked to meet with Noakes about the alleged targeting and not being able to do so, or Noakes snubbing Conaway or not acknowledging her at public events.
In June 2021, the suit states Noakes moved Conaway to Investigative and Support Command, which Conaway felt was like discipline and that she was being punished despite doing nothing wrong.
In July 2022, the suit states that the president of the POA made a complaint on behalf of Crimes Against Children Unit officers to Noakes which reportedly contained lies about Conaway, alleging she interfered in a CACU investigation.
Two months later, the suit details that Noakes reportedly held a meeting, excluding Conaway, to solicit complaints about her, and reportedly told Conaway's subordinates at the meeting that he would either transfer her or demote her.
"DC Conaway was the most tenured Deputy Chief of the six Deputy Chiefs in the FWPD, yet she was the one who was continuously transferred without asking her where she wanted to work, in contrast to the male Deputy Chiefs, who were given options," the suit reads.
Conaway was summoned to meet with Noakes in July 2023, where she was demoted to the position of captain. Noakes reportedly told her this was because no one wanted to work with her out of fear she would "target" them.
After leaving the meeting, she reportedly had to pass by the candidates waiting outside to interview for her position.
In an email announcing her demotion, the suit states that Noakes reportedly insinuated Conaway had not been operating effectively in the role, despite numerous evaluations and recommendation letters reportedly showing the opposite.
"All of Conaway’s evaluations at the FWPD are stellar, praising her accomplishments — until she took action to discipline and correct officers who used excessive force and acted unconstitutionally," the suit states. "Chief Noakes then turned his back on her, targeted her for retaliation, demoted her and took away all supervisory responsibilities."
The suit accuses Noakes of a pattern of retaliating against command staff who try to hold other officers accountable, citing examples such as a sergeant being removed from the public relations team after trying to do so, and demoting a commander attempting to hold subordinates responsible for policy violations.
Conaway is accusing the city of violating both the Whistleblower Act and the Texas Labor Code.
This is the most recent suit by a Fort Worth officer against the city, after a former Fort Worth police chief filed suit against the city claiming wrongful termination. Both sides agreed to settle last month.
WFAA has reached out to the city of Fort Worth for comment but has not heard back as of Wednesday afternoon.
