• Adrian Diaz lawsuit: Former Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz continues to embarrass Seattle. After causing a stir by suddenly coming out as gay amid harassment allegations while continuing on the city’s payroll even after being removed from the job, the disgraced chief was placed on administrative leave last month by Interim Police Chief Sue Rahr as Diaz has brought a $10 million claim against the city. The claim alleges the city “wrongfully discharged and discriminated, harassed and retaliated against (Diaz) when he expressed his sexual orientation” to Mayor Bruce Harrell and Deputy Mayor Tim Burgess,” the Seattle Times reports. Diaz’s administrative leave, meanwhile, comes as he was also being investigated for lying in addition to the harassment allegations. Jamie Tompkins, the former chief of staff to Diaz, resigned earlier this month as her relationship with Diaz is being investigated by the city.
• Garfield sex abuse settlement: Seattle Public Schools has settled a Garfield High School coach sex abuse lawsuit for $16 million. CHS reported here earlier this year on the lawsuit brought on behalf of a former student who said two Garfield coaches sexually abused her for years. Former coach Walter Junior Jones continues to await trial on two felony child rape charges in King County Superior Court. Previously, Garfield girls basketball coach Marvin Hall was fired in 2022 after a different student reported his in appropriate actions. KUOW reports the settlement was the district’s largest ever.
• New conviction for man who set 2023 Broadway tent fire: A man convicted of third degree assault and first degree malicious mischief in a fire set to a Broadway tent that injured the woman living in the sidewalk encampment in spring of 2023 has again been convicted for setting a dangerous fire in the city. King County Superior Court records show Kendrick Epps was convicted of first degree reckless burning in a jury trial this fall after his arrest earlier this year for a fire found to be intentionally set to an Aurora Ave businesses in April. The Aurora fire incident came after Epps’s release from jail. Court records show Epps pleaded guilty to reduced charges and was sentenced to a year in jail for the 2023 Broadway fire that injured the woman and damaged one of the apartment buildings above Capitol Hill Station. Police say Epps was arrested again earlier this year in the Aurora fire that damaged the business structure but fortunately caused no injuries. Court records show Epps received a new six-month sentence in the latest case.

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