New Interim Chief Medical Examiner Formerly Accused of Sexual Harassment

The newly appointed Interim Chief Medical Examiner was once named in a sexual harassment lawsuit in Tucson, Arizona, NEWS 9 has learned.

Monday, June 7th 2010, 6:51 pm

By: News 9


By Rusty Surette, NEWS 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -- The newly appointed Interim Chief Medical Examiner was once named in a sexual harassment lawsuit in Tucson, Arizona, NEWS 9 has learned.

In a special meeting Saturday, the Board of Medicolegal Investigations appointed Dr. Andrew Sibley, a pathologist for the M.E.'s Tulsa office, as the Interim Chief Medical Examiner.

According to M.E. spokeswoman Cherokee Ballard, the board was made aware of Dr. Sibley's history in Arizona, but still felt comfortable with appointing him to the position mostly due to his years of "good work" in Oklahoma.

"He's been with us for 10 years now and he's never had a complaint filed against him," said Ballard.

Dr. Sibley moved to Oklahoma 10 years ago after quitting his job as a pathologist for the Pima County Medical Examiner in Tucson, Arizona.

According to a local Arizona newspaper, a suit was filed by a former employee of the Pima County, Arizona Medical Examiner's Office, accusing Dr. Sibley and others of sexual harassment, bringing strippers into the office to view autopsies and taking a motorcycle into a freezer where bodies are held to weigh it on the autopsy scale.

Dr. Sibley was also accused of routinely referring to women as the "b" word, often discussed explicit sexual acts, and the lawsuit accused him of allowing female friends, including a teenager, to participate in autopsies.

Prior to his new appointment in Oklahoma, Dr. Sibley made the board aware of the allegations in Arizona and denies them all, according to Ballard.

The plaintiff's attorney for the Arizona case said taxpayers in Oklahoma should be "worried" in regards to Dr. Sibley. The attorney went on to say Dr. Sibley's name from the suit was eventually removed because his client was also suing Pima County. The suit was settled, but neither side can disclose for what amount.

In 2000, a newspaper quoted a top county official in Tucson as saying Dr. Sibley would have been fired if he had not quit.

At this point Dr. Sibley's position is being called temporary, while a search committee looks for someone to permanently fill the role of Chief Medical Examiner.

More:
- Tulsa Physician Appointed Interim Chief Medical Examiner
- Board to Consider Hiring New Medical Examiner

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