Hanover County, Va. (Newsradiowrva.com) - A former deputy with the Hanover County Sheriff’s Office has filed a $12 million lawsuit through Hanover County over claims of not receiving wages and overtime pay.
The suit alleges that the former deputy Christopher Hatcher did not receive overtime compensation between July 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022. Seven “similarly situated” current and former employees have joined the suit seeking a total of $12 million for alleged wage theft.
The lawsuit stated that Hatcher and other plaintiffs were required to “mark on duty” when leaving their homes in their patrol vehicles before beginning their shifts. However, this time was allegedly uncompensated until they drove to their target location or headquarters before starting each assigned shift.
“To ‘mark on duty’ means that a Deputy either calls in, or logs in from a laptop in the car, to the Sheriff’s dispatch system to announce him/herself as being on duty, which means he/she is available to respond to calls, emergencies, or any other event for which such Deputy may be called upon,” the lawsuit said.
In response to the filing, Hanover County denied that the current and former employees did not receive full overtime compensation and further denied that the county is or was their employer.
A Hanover County spokesperson told our partners at 8News that they were unable to comment on the matter, as this is pending litigation.
