Fired police officer sues city over claims surrounding his private security work

A former Charles City police officer is now suing the city, alleging he was unfairly fired amid allegations he had falsified payroll records at his second job.

Casey Mallory is suing the City of Charles City, Police Chief Hugh Anderson and City Manager Tyler Trout in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Iowa. Mallory was employed by the city as a police officer from 2011 through Jan. 16, 2026, most recently as a lieutenant.

The lawsuit alleges that in 2017, Mallory, while still working as a Charles City police officer, took a second job working security at a local poultry processing plant run by Pure Prairie Farms. In 2025, the lawsuit asserts, a rumor began circulating within the police department that Mallory was “double dipping” by being paid by both the plant and the city for some of the same hours worked.

In September 2025, the lawsuit alleges, Chief Anderson directed one of Mallory’s fellow officers, who also worked at the plant, to surreptitiously collect Mallory’s timesheets from the plant and deliver them to city officials. According to the lawsuit, Anderson then hired a third-party investigator, retired police officer Joseph Leibold of Pear Tree Investigations & Consulting, to investigate the matter.

Days later, Anderson notified Mallory he was being placed on paid administrative leave due to suspected misconduct, according to the lawsuit.

The written notice informed Mallory that “on numerous days in 2025, while on duty for the Charles City Police Department, Lt. Mallory allegedly submitted compensation (claims) to Pure Prairie Poultry for overlapping work hours.” According to the lawsuit, Anderson shared with Floyd County Sheriff Jeff Crooks information about the allegations against Mallory — although, the lawsuit claims, “there was no need for Anderson to disclose information about the complaint made against Mallory to Sheriff Crooks.”

According to the lawsuit, Leibold delivered his final investigative findings to Anderson on Nov. 21, 2025. The findings “confirmed that the plant did not pay Mallory for any hours during which Mallory was not performing work for the plant,” and also confirmed that the police department did not pay Mallory for any hours in which he was “not performing work for the department,” the lawsuit claims.

“In other words, Leibold’s investigation confirmed that the ‘double dipping’ rumor about Mallory was false,” the lawsuit asserts, adding that despite those findings, Anderson and Trout decided to terminate Mallory’s employment.

According to the lawsuit, Anderson and Trout then offered Mallory a severance agreement and told him if he signed it and agreed to resign, he could avoid having a termination on his record. Mallory declined the offer, the lawsuit asserts, and he was then fired for allegedly submitting claims for 46.5 hours of compensation from Pure Prairie Farms that “did not accurately reflect the time or manner in which the work was performed.”

According to the lawsuit, Mallory continues to be employed at the plant and has never been disciplined by the company for any reason.

As part of his lawsuit against the city, Mallory alleges he was denied the opportunity to respond to charges of misconduct and was given no explanation as to the city’s evidence against him. The lawsuit also alleges the city violated state law by disclosing to to the Floyd County sheriff confidential information about the complaint against Mallory.

The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages related to lost wages, compensation for emotional distress, court costs and attorney fees.

The city has yet to file a response to the lawsuit. The city’s attorney, Brad Sloter, did not return calls seeking comment Tuesday.