Wells officer violated policy

Published 10:22 am Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Investigation finds lewd conduct

The Wells City Council reprimanded one of its officers at the end of last month after an internal investigation found the officer violated the city’s sexual harassment policy and police code of conduct.

The council gave officer Steve Seipp, who has since returned to work, two weeks of unpaid leave for the violation and required him to attend sexual harassment training. He had been on paid administrative leave since Aug. 22.

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The discipline was given after a Mankato Police Department detective conducted an internal investigation into an allegation of misconduct against Seipp. The report stated the inappropriate behavior took place Aug. 16 during Wells Kernel Days.

The report stated another officer claimed she had walked into the Wells Police Department to start her shift to work when Seipp touched her hair, which was pulled back in a tight bun.

When she turned around and saw it was Seipp touching her hair, he reportedly responded by saying, “Yeah, I like your hair up like that, that’s working for me.”

The officer told Seipp not to touch her hair and moved around to the other side of the desk after which Seipp reportedly responded by saying “excuse me while I go and finish this off” and made a lewd gesture, according to the report.

The officer later told an investigator she was taken back by Seipp’s actions and noted that they made her feel uncomfortable, the report states. She referenced Seipp doing something similar in the past.

Seipp admitted during an interview that he “tapped” the head of the officer but denied making any type of comments or gestures that could be construed as sexual in nature, the report states.

“His statement and denials contradict the three other officers that I have interviewed,” the detective with the Mankato Police Department report wrote.

The report notes that the three interviews, conducted separately, were consistent in their details.

Seipp, who has worked part time for the city since 2009, was hired full time in December 2013, said Wells Administrator Robin Leslie.

Leslie said Seipp has had no prior incidents of discipline in his file. There are four full-time officers and seven part-time officers with the Wells Police Department.

A call to Seipp’s home phone was not returned as of press time.