New claims against former Port Clinton fire chief

PORT CLINTON — A woman who claims she was repeatedly sexually harassed and abused by former Port Clinton fire chief Kent Johnson has come out with new allegations. Johnson was placed on paid administrative leave on June 6 and later was permanently removed from his position at the city effective Jan. 18, according to court records. That woman filed a lawsuit against Johnson and the city of Port Clinton last year in federal court, alleging the former fire chief had made inappropriate sexual remarks and had groped her. Meanwhile, a lawsuit filed by the former fire chief against Port Clinton's city government remains pending. New allegations come to light That woman, Rebekah Huskey, formerly worked as a firefighter/EMT and later as a secretary at the fire department. The Register does not typically identify alleged victims. But Huskey, through her lawyers, had previously publicly identified herself in a statement coinciding with the filing of her lawsuit last September. Huskey, through her attorney, Subodh Chandra, filed an amended civil complaint on Saturday. Among the new claims contained in the amended suit against Johnson include allegations that Johnson had allegedly, while in possession of Huskey's phone, viewed intimate photos stored on the phone depicting Huskey and transferred the images from her phone to his own personal Google account. "Johnson didn't disclose his intrusion, transfers, and publication of Ms. Huskey's photos to anyone," the amended lawsuit states. The photos were uncovered during a criminal investigation conducted by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, where they obtained access to Johnson's Google Cloud in 2024. When asked by a law enforcement agent, according to the complaint, Johnson claimed he obtained the photos while conducting an investigation of Huskey of which he had allegedly created no documentation of nor interviewed anyone for. Previous allegations listed in her lawsuit include the following: • After severely injuring her back while working as an EMT, Johnson allegedly pressured Huskey into withdrawing her workers' compensation claim. • Johnson allegedly made comments and sent text messages to Huskey that were romantic or sexual in nature that she felt were inappropriate. • Johnson "removed or discarded" Huskey's firefighter/EMT continuing-education training records, ultimately forcing her to do her training all over again and interfering with her ability to recertify as a firefighter. Johnson's attornies, Jillian Eckart and James A. Climer, of Cleveland, have not yet filed an answer to the amended complaint. Eckart and Climer did not respond to a request for comment. Former chief's lawsuit continues Johnson was hired by the city of Port Clinton in July 1992 and promoted to fire chief in September 2008. He filed his lawsuit against the city of Port Clinton on Jan. 8, where he alleged that: • He was not afforded due process when city officials sought his termination. • City officials did not follow the law in his suspension and firing. • He had suffered emotional distress. • He suffered a loss of compensation and benefits. On Feb. 29, Johnson filed an amended complaint, where he alleges that: • City officials said he would suffer financial losses in his termination that he could avoid if he decided to instead resign or retire. • City officials asked the Bureau of Criminal Investigation to investigate him on potential theft in office charges relating to an annual training stipend — something Johnson claims is retaliation for his lawsuit. • Actions taken by city officials have subjected him to public contempt and ridicule. At this time, Johnson is seeking $125,000 in damages.