By Anita Pere
apere@stwnewspress.com
STILLWATER, Okla. —
A federal judge has removed the city of Stillwater from a lawsuit stemming from a former police officer’s relationship with a teenaged girl.
Louis “Buck” Morris, 49, was working as a student resource officer at Stillwater Junior High in June 2009 and is accused of becoming involved with a student who was 15 at the time. The girl had previously been in a relationship with Morris’ son. At the time, Morris had been a Stillwater police officer for 17 years and a school resource officer for more than six years. The girl’s mother sued the city, the school district and Morris.
Morris is charged in Payne County District Court with three counts of lewd acts to a child under 16 and two counts of two counts of rape by instrumentation. Morris pleaded not guilty in March. He is slated to stand trial beginning Oct. 26.
Morris is free on $25,000 bail.
Jacki Michelle Hill of Anchorage, Alaska, filed suit in federal court in Oklahoma City against the officer last October. The suit was amended in May to add the city of Stillwater and the Stillwater Independent School District as defendants.
U.S. District Judge Stephen P. Friot approved the city's removal from the suit last week, court records show.
"(The city of Stillwater) asserts that plaintiff has not alleged facts showing and cannot prove that defendant, Louis Alvie Morris’ alleged molestation and rape of a minor child was within the scope of his employment as a police officer for (the city of Stillwater). (Stillwater) also asserts that plaintiff has not alleged facts stating a plausible claim against it for the negligent supervision of defendant, Louis Alvie Morris."
Friot wrote that Morris was acting "outside the scope of his employment," making the city clear of blame.
Stillwater NewsPress reporter Silas Allen contributed to this report.
