Karl Von Derhaar filed a federal complaint on Sept. 1 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana against Michael Stalbert, Lawrence Jones, Kim Williams, Darryl Watson, Khalid Watson, Shaun D. Ferguson, superintendent of the New Orleans Police Department, in his official capacity and the City of New Orleans through the Mayor of the City of New Orleans Latoya Cantrell for unlawful arrest, search and seizure.
According to the complaint, Von Derhaar was employed as a Criminalist in the New Orleans Police Department and routinely voiced concerns about the adequacy and safety of the tests he was ordered to perform. In one complaint, Von Derhaar reported to his supervisor, Sgt. Stalbert, that the ventilation in the lab was substandard and posed a great safety hazard to the analysts in the lab. In fact, other analysts, as well as himself, suffered from respiratory illnesses while employed at the lab. On Sept. 2, 2020, Sgt. Stalbert, Williams and Khalid Watson allegedly forced themselves into Von Derhaar's home, according to the complaint, and said that Von Derhaar was ordered to undergo a drug test because his behavior had been unusual. Von Derhaar alleges that he was under a lot of
Von Derhaar seeks punitive damages, attorney's fees and cost of suit. Von Derhaar is represented by Gleen C. McGovern.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana case number 2:21-cv-01653-ILRL-MBN