Maegan Hall and the La Vergne, Tennessee police officers she worked with became the center of a 2023 scandal after an internal investigation found that Hall and several male colleagues had engaged in sexual activity on duty and on department property. Five officers and the police chief were fired, three others were suspended, and Hall later settled a federal civil rights lawsuit against the city for $500,000.
What Happened at the La Vergne Police Department
According to court documents, the first incident of sexual misconduct among the officers took place over Memorial Day weekend 2022.1NewsChannel9. La Vergne Sex Scandal: Former Police Chief Sues City for Racial Discrimination It went unreported for months. On December 12, 2022, La Vergne Mayor Jason Cole brought rumors circulating about the department to the city’s human resources office, which opened a formal investigation.2WSMV. Top Stories 2023: 5 La Vergne Officers Fired Amid Sex Scandal Investigation
Investigators found that Hall had sexual relationships with Sergeants Lewis Powell and Henry “Ty” McGowan, Detective Seneca Shields, and Officers Juan Lugo-Perez, Patrick Magliocco, and Larry Holladay. Sexual acts had occurred on duty and inside city-owned property, including the department’s substation and gym. Officers exchanged explicit photos and attended off-duty gatherings that involved heavy drinking and sexual behavior, including what investigators described as a “Girls Gone Wild” hot tub party at a sergeant’s houseboat.3WKRN. La Vergne Police Department Sex Scandal Several officers had not disclosed their relationships to HR as department policy required, and some were found to have lied during the investigation.4Fox 17. Internal Investigation Underway as Five Fired, Three Suspended From La Vergne PD
In interview transcripts, Hall acknowledged the relationships. “I just cracked and then it just got out of hand… I got stupid, I got desperate,” she said.5KATV. La Vergne Police Sexual Misconduct All of the male officers admitted undisclosed sexual relationships with her.2WSMV. Top Stories 2023: 5 La Vergne Officers Fired Amid Sex Scandal Investigation No criminal charges were ever filed against any officer over the misconduct itself; the matter was handled through internal discipline, civil litigation, and police certification proceedings.
The Officers Who Were Fired or Suspended
In January 2023, the La Vergne Police Department announced that five officers had been terminated and three suspended, cutting the 68-officer force by roughly 12 percent.6KTXS. La Vergne Police Sexual Misconduct
The five fired officers were patrol officer Maegan Hall; Sergeant Lewis Powell, a K-9 handler; Sergeant Henry “Ty” McGowan, who had previously been suspended and demoted over a separate sexual conduct investigation; Detective Seneca Shields; and patrol officer Juan Lugo-Perez.
Three more were suspended without pay. Patrol and K-9 officer Larry Holladay and patrol officer Patrick Magliocco each received two-week suspensions, and patrol officer Gavin Schoeberl was suspended for one week.7WSMV. Tenn. Officers Involved in Sex Scandal Reprimanded Before
How Chief Davis Was Involved
Soon after the officer firings, the city hired the law firm Frost Brown Todd to run an independent investigation into department leadership. Investigators concluded that Police Chief Burrel “Chip” Davis had known about the sexual misconduct for months and never reported it or confronted the officers.1NewsChannel9. La Vergne Sex Scandal: Former Police Chief Sues City for Racial Discrimination
Text messages showed that Sergeant McGowan had sent Davis nude photos and videos of Hall, and Davis admitted receiving them.8WSMV. La Vergne Has New Police Chief: What Led to His Predecessor’s Firing Davis reportedly used a “burner phone” for some of these communications.9Fox 17. La Vergne Mayor Grilled by City Leaders, Residents Amid Scandal When HR first began asking questions, Davis texted a sergeant, “IT’S OUT IN HR TALKING ABOUT IT NOW” and “All bets off.” Investigators found Davis had not fully and truthfully answered their questions, including by claiming the text messages had been tampered with.10WKRN. Text Messages Show La Vergne Police Chief Received Naked Photos, Videos of Female Officer Audio captured Davis acknowledging the pattern inside his department: “I come here and it’s damn near sex ring or whatever on second shift.”3WKRN. La Vergne Police Department Sex Scandal He was terminated effective February 6, 2023.11WSMV. La Vergne Police Chief Fired Amid Sex Scandal
Davis’s legal problems grew after the firing. In December 2024, he was arrested on a warrant for aggravated stalking after allegedly violating an order of protection.12WKRN. Former La Vergne Police Chief Charged With Kidnapping Month After Stalking Arrest On January 29, 2025, Murfreesboro police arrested him again after a domestic incident in which he allegedly entered his estranged wife’s home, took phones from her and her daughters to prevent them from calling for help, and threatened violence with a gun. He was charged with four counts of felony especially aggravated kidnapping, one count of felony aggravated assault, two counts of misdemeanor domestic assault, and four counts of misdemeanor interference with emergency calls. He was held on a $145,000 bond with a hearing set for March 5, 2025, in Rutherford County General Sessions Court.13WSMV. Former La Vergne Police Chief Accused of Kidnapping, Slew of Other Charges
Maegan Hall’s Lawsuit and $500,000 Settlement
On February 27, 2023, Hall filed a federal civil rights lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee. The case, Hall v. City of La Vergne, Tennessee (No. 3:23-cv-00173), was assigned to District Judge Eli Jeremy Richardson.14CourtListener. Hall v. City of La Vergne, Tennessee The suit named the City of La Vergne, Davis, Powell, and McGowan as defendants.
The complaint alleged that Hall’s supervisors used their authority to groom her for “sexual exploitation” in a workplace “permeated with sexual innuendo and sexually explicit behavior.”15WSMV. Fired La Vergne Officer Claims Grooming, Harassment Led to Sex Scandal Hall alleged that Powell had pressured her repeatedly for sex until she gave in. In an earlier public statement she said, “I did say no, and he wouldn’t take it for an answer. Eventually, I gave in from pressure.”16Fox Sports Radio. Former Sex Romp Cop Meagan Hall’s Surprising New Job Revealed The complaint further alleged that Powell forced Hall into sex acts, at times physically restraining her and recording her without consent, and that explicit images and videos of her were sent to Davis without her knowledge or approval.17YourCentralValley. City Settles Lawsuit With Ex-Officer After Being Fired for Allegedly Having Sex on Duty Her attorneys also alleged the city had put out a “false narrative” in its public summary of the investigation, causing widespread public humiliation.
On March 20, 2024, the La Vergne Board of Mayor and Aldermen voted at a special meeting to authorize a $500,000 settlement. The gross amount, which included court costs, attorney fees, and expenses, was paid by the city’s insurance carrier rather than taxpayer funds, and the city expressly denied any admission of liability.18Fox 17. La Vergne City Settles Lawsuit With Former Officer Maegan Hall The suit was dismissed with prejudice on March 22, 2024.19WKRN. La Vergne Settles Lawsuit With Former Officer
The Other Officers’ Lawsuits
Lewis Powell filed two actions of his own. In April 2023, he brought a defamation countersuit against Hall, claiming a late-February 2023 television broadcast falsely portrayed him as engaging in sexual harassment and nonconsensual sexual contact. He sought a jury trial, $200,000 in compensatory damages, and punitive damages.20WSMV. La Vergne Police Officer Countersues Sexual Harassment Complaint In December 2023, he filed a separate federal lawsuit against the City of La Vergne, Mayor Cole, HR Director Andrew Patton, and Davis alleging racial discrimination. Powell, who is Black, argued that white officers caught up in the same scandal were allowed to stay on the force while he was fired. He also alleged Davis ordered him to lie about a relationship with a woman in the department and that city officials tracked his movements using GPS data from his work-issued phone. He sought a jury trial, back pay, front pay, and $3 million in damages.21WKRN. Former La Vergne Officer Suing City After Sex Scandal
Henry “Ty” McGowan filed a federal lawsuit against the city in February 2024, also alleging racial discrimination and retaliation under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and the Tennessee Human Rights Act. He argued he and other minority officers were fired while white officers in similar circumstances kept their jobs.22Fox 17. Former La Vergne Sergeant Fired During Police Department Sex Scandal Sues City In November 2025, the court granted the city’s motion for summary judgment, finding McGowan had not identified similarly situated non-minority employees who received better treatment, and that his internal complaints did not constitute protected activity under Title VII.23FindLaw. Henry Ty McGowan v. City of La Vergne
Davis filed his own lawsuit in April 2024, alleging racial discrimination and violation of the Tennessee Human Rights Act. He claimed he was fired while white supervisors faced no discipline, and sought reinstatement, back pay, compensation for emotional distress, and punitive damages.1NewsChannel9. La Vergne Sex Scandal: Former Police Chief Sues City for Racial Discrimination His discrimination case and his felony criminal case both remain pending. Powell’s discrimination suit and his defamation countersuit against Hall did not have reported resolutions as of the most recent available information.
Can They Work as Officers Again?
The city asked the Tennessee Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission to decertify four of the five fired officers — Hall, Powell, McGowan, and Lugo-Perez — on the grounds that they had lied during the investigation. Detective Shields was not included in the request because the city determined he had been truthful.24NewsChannel5. Four Former La Vergne Police Officers Now at Risk of Losing POST Certification At informal hearings in February 2023, Lugo-Perez and Powell waived the informal process in favor of formal hearings before the full POST Commission. Hall’s attorney asked for her hearing to be paused because of her pending lawsuit, and the commission agreed.25WKRN. Two Fired La Vergne Police Officers Waive Informal Decertification Hearing Davis was voted to be decertified by the POST Commission in December 2024, barring him from working in law enforcement in Tennessee.26NewsNation. Ex-Police Chief Kidnapping Tennessee
Where Maegan Hall Is Now
As of early 2025, Hall is working as a pharmacy technician, a field she was licensed in before joining the La Vergne Police Department. She continues to live in the Manchester, Tennessee home she purchased with her husband, Jedidiah, before the scandal became public, and has not spoken publicly about the matter since an interview in March 2023.27New York Post. Tennessee Sex Romp Cop Maegan Hall Lands a Surprising New Gig