(WAVE/WKYT) – Former Clark County Sheriff Jamey Noel filed a civil rights lawsuit on April 17 against multiple former colleagues and claims that his constitutional rights were violated.
Noel was sentenced to 12 years in prison in October 2024. He filed the lawsuit from jail against six people — current Clark County Sheriff Scottie Maples, Assistant Chief Mark Grube, Scott County Sheriff Jerry Goodin, Indiana State Police Lt. Jeffrey Hearon, and Scott County Corrections Officer Rusty Johns.
In the lawsuit, Noel claims that Maples took a screenshot from a secure jail camera of Noel praying and posted the photo on Facebook.
The lawsuit states, “Maples and Grube oversee the Clark Co. Jail and did this to ridicule me and mock me for practicing my Catholic Faith. Maples and Grube violated my First Amendment rights.”
After being transferred to the Scott County Jail, Noel claims that he was denied the ability to practice his Catholic Faith because Goodin allegedly turned away a priest who attempted to bring Noel communion and hear his confession. Noel states that other non-Catholic pastors and ministers were allowed to enter the jail to meet with non-Catholic inmates.
Noel goes on to say that Johns refused to serve him food numerous times, stating that Johns would either not serve the food at all or would place the food aside for another corrections officer to serve him after the rest of the inmates had been given food.
The lawsuit also claims that Noel was kept in a very cold cell and could only take scalding hot showers. Noel said he filed grievances with the jail, but the issues were not corrected.
Hearon is accused of seizing Noel’s Mercedes-Benz in the lawsuit. Noel claims that the car was taken without a warrant, violating his Fourth Amendment rights, and that the car was damaged in the process. Noel also accused the Indiana State Police of refusing to return the keys to his attorneys.
In the lawsuit, Noel is seeking a jury trial and $930,000 in compensatory damages. Noel plans to represent himself.
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