A Kansas Town Will Pay $850K to End a Reporter’s Lawsuit over a 2023 Raid on Her Paper’s Offices
The settlement ends a federal suit over the 2023 raid that drew national scrutiny and led to Marion County paying more than $3 million in related claims.
- On Tuesday, Marion, Kansas, agreed to pay $850,000 to settle a federal lawsuit filed by former reporter Phyllis Zorn over a 2023 police raid of the newspaper's offices.
- Former Marion Police Chief Gideon Cody led the raid claiming he was investigating potential identity theft; however, authorities determined the search of the newspaper's offices and Publisher Eric Meyer's home was not legally justified.
- Zorn alleged the raid violated press freedoms and protections against unreasonable searches guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution, which reporters viewed as retaliation for hard-hitting local coverage.
- Attorney Randy Rathbun and city counsel Jennifer Hill filed a joint statement Tuesday dismissing the lawsuit, adding to Marion County's prior agreement in November to pay more than $3 million to settle related claims.
- While this settlement ends Zorn's case, some legal claims against present and past officials remain, with a pretrial Zoom hearing scheduled for Oct. to address ongoing litigation.
30 Articles
30 Articles
Associated Press News
A Kansas town will pay $850K to end a reporter's lawsuit over a 2023 raid on her paper's offices
A small Kansas town has agreed to pay $850,000 to a former reporter at its weekly newspaper to end her federal lawsuit over a police raid of the paper’s offices in 2023 that ignited a national furor over press freedom.
3 years after police raid on Kansas newspaper, reporter settles lawsuit for $850,000
Marion County Record reporter Phyllis Zorn and others say the August 2023 police raid was retaliation for the newspaper’s aggressive coverage, including into misconduct accusations against then-Police Chief Gideon Cody.
Morgan County Citizen
Three years after police raid on Kansas newspaper, reporter settles lawsuit for $850K
TOPEKA — Phyllis Zorn, the reporter whose acts of journalism served as an excuse for the August 2023 police raid of the Marion County Record, will get $850,000 from the city of Marion to settle her federal lawsuit over the…
A reporter for the Marion County Record in Kansas will get $850K after settling a lawsuit against the city of Marion, three years after police raided the paper (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)
Sherman Smith / Kansas Reflector: A reporter for the Marion County Record in Kansas will get $850K after settling a lawsuit against the city of Marion, three years after police raided the paper — TOPEKA — Phyllis Zorn, the reporter whose acts of journalism served as an excuse for the August 2023 police raid of the Marion County Record …
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