TOLEDO, Ohio — Two Toledo police sergeants have been disciplined after being accused of sexually harassing female patrol officers and found guilty of conduct unbecoming of an officer.
Neither officer will be fired and both face a range of suspensions and mandatory sexual harassment training in the future.
Sgt. Matt Gabel was suspended for 60 days, with 20 days required to be served and 40 days held in abeyance for five years. He was also permanently demoted and cannot seek promotion for the duration of his career.
Sgt. Kevin Nabors was suspended for 20 days, all of which will be held in abeyance for three years.
Gabel was required to sign a last chance agreement in place for five years. Any sustained charge of conduct unbecoming in that time frame will result in his termination.
Documents show Gabel has a pattern of contacting subordinate officers and commenting on their appearance and asking about sex. He’s been on the force since 2012, sergeant since 2016.
According to documents, Gabel initiated a text conversation about women's underwear, asked a female officer what type she wore and told her he was picturing her in them.
Another text to female officer in March, 2020 reads "Nice pic. Sexy belly."
Complaint documents also show Nabors commenting inappropriately to at least one subordinate female officer in 2019.
"You and I could do a private photo shoot of each other," Nabors said to the officer. "Clothing optional."
In another conversation, the officer informed Nabors he made her step in a puddle. He replied, "Didn't mean to get you wet."
"When a patrolman is promoted to sergeant, I tell them that the sergeant is the most important leadership position on the department because they are the first line to combating problems," Chief George Kral said in a statement. "When a command officer betrays the trust I placed in him, it upsets me to the core. The allegations were disturbing in the least and I took them seriously."
FULL INTERVIEW WITH CHIEF KRAL
Gabel was appointed to the department in 2012 and was promoted to sergeant in 2016. Nabors was appointed in 2013 and promoted in 2019.
Both were placed on restricted duty pending the outcome of the investigation by the Internal Affairs Section. Union representatives began discussing plea agreements prior to the hearing.
According to Kral, plea agreements are used to expedite closure for the victims and prevent them from having to testify and re-live the incidents.