Former Carson City deputy sues charging wrongful termination

Former Carson City Sheriff’s Office deputy and alternative services assistant chief Cate Summers has filed suit charging she was wrongfully terminated after a total of 26 years service.

Summers accused two different heads of Carson City Alternative Sentencing services of building a trumped up case against her.

But she said the issues started before Rory Planeta retired from that post in 2013. She said he initially complained she took too much time on military leave. Summers is a Command Sergeant Major in the Nevada Army National Guard, according to court documents.

She said her direct problems began after Officer Aaron Lewis was accused of sexual violations when she expressed her opinion to a deputy Attorney General she didn’t believe the accusations. When the deputy said she didn’t think Summers was being truthful, Summers said she wouldn’t speak to that investigator again, but did talk with another deputy.

She said Planeta used that incident to charge “Your impartiality was in question” during Lewis’s trial and put into her annual review she had refused to speak to the AG’s office.

After Planeta retired, she said there were problems with his replacement Tad Fletcher who other officers said was leaving early during football season to coach but not putting that on his timecard.

She was placed on administrative leave in March 2015, accused of violating department policies, then terminated Aug. 24, 2015.

She said in March of last year, Fletcher told her he had talked with the city manager about her decision not to retire when she became eligible. She said he also told her he had talked with the city manager about her medical issues including the need for hip surgery and had done so without her permission, court documents said.

The complaint in Carson District Court says the firing was illegal retaliation based on “unfounded accusations.” She said she was subjected to “constant and repeated threats, harassment and intimidation and discriminated against based on her age (in her 40s), gender and sexual orientation.”

The complaint says her character and reputation have been tarnished and asks for in excess of $10,000 damages.

The Carson City District Attorney’s office has not yet responded to the complaint.