A former captain with the Aurora-Marionville Police Department has filed a civil lawsuit against the Cities of Aurora and Marionville, along with Police Chief Wes Coatney, alleging years of sexual harassment, retaliation, and other misconduct that ultimately forced her from her position.
The lawsuit, filed June 19 in Lawrence County Circuit Court, was brought by former Captain of Detectives Krissa Bliss. The petition alleges violations of the Missouri Human Rights Act, along with civil claims for assault, battery, false imprisonment, and defamation.
According to the petition, Bliss served with the Aurora-Marionville Police Department from 2012 until November 2025 and alleges she maintained a positive employment record throughout her career before the events described in the lawsuit.
Among the most serious allegations is an incident the lawsuit claims occurred on February 26, 2025. According to the petition, Chief Wes Coatney approached Bliss while she was working, placed a hand on her shoulder, held an open pocketknife within inches of her throat, and allegedly stated, “I’m going to rape you.”
The lawsuit alleges Bliss immediately pushed Coatney away, left the room, and later reported the incident to city officials and supervisors.
The petition further alleges that after reporting the incident, Bliss was subjected to continued harassment and retaliation. According to the lawsuit, those actions included changes to her work schedule, changes to her reporting structure, reduced responsibilities, less favorable assignments, denial of promotional opportunities, and a workplace environment that ultimately became intolerable.
The lawsuit claims both the City of Aurora and the City of Marionville knew about the reported conduct but failed to take appropriate corrective action. Instead, the petition alleges the cities permitted or condoned the behavior and retaliated against Bliss after she complained.
Bliss contends the working conditions became so intolerable that she was constructively discharged, forcing her resignation from the Aurora-Marionville Police Department in November 2025.
The lawsuit seeks compensatory damages, punitive damages, front pay, attorney’s fees, litigation expenses, and other relief the court deems appropriate. For several counts under the Missouri Human Rights Act, the petition requests punitive damages of $5 million or five times the amount of actual damages, whichever is greater.
At this stage, these allegations are contained in a civil petition and have not been proven in court. The defendants will have the opportunity to file formal responses, and the court will ultimately determine the merits of the claims.
Missouri Free Press will continue following this case and report on any responses filed by the defendants as well as future court proceedings.