A deputy with the Island County Sheriff’s Office alleges in a lawsuit that he was repeatedly touched inappropriately by a superior officer and that the sheriff’s administration retaliated against him for making complaints.

Deputy Mike Adrian, who works on Camano Island, filed a lawsuit in Snohomish County Superior Court May 31 against Island County and Sgt. John Nieder. He asked for special, general and compensatory damages.

Sheriff Rick Felici said he couldn’t comment on ongoing litigation.

As the lawsuit points out, Nieder was previously fired from the sheriff’s office for sexually harassing a female detective in 2015. The deputy’s guild, however, supported him in an appeal to an arbitrator, who found that while Nieder did commit sexual harassment and that his testimony was not credible, the decision to fire him was too harsh.

Adrian, who has worked for the office since 2017, alleges that he reported to Felici in March 2019 that Nieder had “approached him from behind and grabbed his chest underneath his protective equipment in an aggressive and sexual manner,” the lawsuit states.

Following an investigation, Adrian was ordered to return to work with Nieder, the lawsuit states. Members of the sheriff’s administration allegedly told him there was no assault because he was not injured, which is contrary to law, the complaint claims.

Adrian claims that Nieder subsequently touched him again on four separate occasions; Adrian received a written reprimand for reporting the unwanted touches, according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit outlines incidents of discipline and other actions that Adrian claimed were unfair or retaliatory.

Adrian claims he saved the life of a citizen in 2020 and apprehended a barricaded murder suspect by himself in 2021; fellow deputies allegedly recommended that he received special honors for the acts, but he only got a $25 Amazon card, the lawsuit states.

In addition, the lawsuit alleges that the sheriff and others torpedoed his application for a position with the Mason County Sheriff’s Office.

The lawsuit claims battery, negligent infliction of emotional distress, “false light,” negligent hiring, negligent supervision, violation of his civil rights and retaliation.