The City of Port Clinton, Ohio, has agreed to pay $1.7 million to settle a federal lawsuit brought by a former firefighter/EMT who accused the city’s former fire chief of sexual harassment and assault, and fellow firefighters of retaliating against her after she reported his misconduct.

The settlement resolves a lawsuit filed in September 2023 by Rebekah Huskey-Archacki against the city and former Fire Chief Kent Johnson. The settlement will be paid through the city’s insurer.

Huskey-Archacki alleged that Chief Johnson repeatedly subjected her to unwanted sexual advances, inappropriate text messages, and physical sexual assaults. According to the complaint, Chief Johnson used his position of authority to harass her, including sending sexually explicit messages, requesting nude photographs, and engaging in unwanted physical contact.

The lawsuit also alleged that Chief Johnson retaliated against Huskey-Archacki after she rejected his advances. Among the allegations was that he interfered with her workers’ compensation benefits following an on-duty back injury, delaying surgery and worsening her condition.

An independent investigation commissioned by the city concluded that Chief Johnson engaged in sexual harassment and financial improprieties. He was subsequently terminated, a decision unanimously upheld by the Port Clinton Civil Service Commission.

Chief Johnson also faced criminal prosecution arising from his conduct. In July 2025, he was convicted following no-contest pleas to charges involving assault, telecommunications harassment, menacing, unauthorized use of property, and receiving stolen property. He was sentenced to 180 days in jail.

During the federal litigation, additional evidence emerged that Chief Johnson had accessed intimate photographs of Huskey-Archacki without her permission. According to the complaint, Chief Johnson admitted during a March 2026 deposition that he photographed the images with his cellphone and that copies were subsequently discovered in his personal Google Drive account.

Chief Johnson acknowledged that he had no warrant, court order, or departmental authorization to access the photographs, testifying, “I should not have done it.”

The lawsuit also alleged that Huskey-Archacki experienced retaliation from other members of the fire department after reporting Chief Johnson’s misconduct. According to the complaint, volunteer firefighters participated in a boycott in which they refused to respond to emergency calls when she was on duty, creating potentially dangerous conditions for both Huskey-Archacki and the public.

Huskey-Archacki claimed that the continuing hostility, ostracism, and refusal of fellow firefighters to respond to emergencies made her working conditions intolerable, forcing her to resign on March 27, 2024.

Her federal lawsuit asserted claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, and 42 U.S.C. § 1983, including allegations of sex discrimination in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment and unreasonable searches and seizures under the Fourth Amendment. Additional claims involved the unauthorized acquisition of intimate photographs and violations of Ohio law.

Attorney Subodh Chandra, who represented Huskey-Archacki, said the settlement reflected both the misconduct of Chief Johnson and the retaliation that followed her complaints. Extensive coverage of the case and the settlement is available at the Chandra Law Firm web site.

The $1.7 million settlement resolves the federal civil rights litigation against the city and Chief Johnson.  Here is our previous coverage of the case:

Ohio Appeals Court Reinstates Defamation Claim by Former Port Clinton Fire Chief

Fired Ohio Fire Chief Loses Wrongful Termination Suit and Now Faces Criminal Charges

Firefighter Accuses Fire Chief of Sexual Assault and Harassment