Kansas newspaper owner files lawsuit against officials over August raid that allegedly led to his mother's death

The owner of a Kansas newspaper that was raided by law enforcement in August 2023 has filed a lawsuit against the officials involved, accusing them of violating First Amendment rights and of retaliating against the local paper.

Eric Meyers, owner of the Marion County Record, filed a lawsuit on Monday in the US District Court for Kansas against the city, Marion County Sheriff Jeff Soyez, Marion County Detective Aaron Christner, acting police chief Gideon Cody, former mayor David Mayfield, and the Board of County Commissioners, according to the Washington Post.

Meyer alleged in the lawsuit that the August raids on both the paper’s newsroom as well as Meyer’s home, where his mother and co-owner of the paper, Joan Meyer, lived, led to the sudden death of his mother.

Meyer called the raid "a weaponizing of the criminal justice system to settle personal scores" in a statement, adding that it "proved fatal to my 98-year-old mother."

"With the same spirit she showed in standing up to the seven bullies who spent hours raiding her home, we must now continue her fight for the most cherished of American traditions — freedom of expression and freedom from abuse by those acting under the color of law."

According to the lawsuit, Joan Meyer said to officers raiding the residence, "You know, if I have a heart attack and die it’s going to be all your fault."

"Boy, you are going to be in trouble," she allegedly told Cody.

The lawsuit stated that Joan Meyer was "traumatized" by the raid and refused to eat or drink. She "repeatedly told her son that her entire life was meaningless if this is what Marion had become."

She died the following day from cardiac arrest, which the lawsuit claimed was "brought on by the stress" of the raid.

The raid was deemed an "ill-fated attempt to silence the press," with the lawsuit accusing officials of basing search warrants used on "false statements and material omissions."

The lawsuit also stated that the raid was a result of officials seeking retribution against the paper, noting instances of tension between the paper and officials that were reported on.

Around six months before the raid, in February, Mayfield allegedly shared a post from his wife on social media, who had written about a petition that would "silence the MCR."

Days before the August raid, a Marion restaurant owner seeking a liquor license alleged that the paper had illegally obtained information about a drunk driving conviction. This information would have jeopardized the application.

Police raided the Meyers’ residence and the Record’s newsroom on August 11, as well as the home of a city council member who had received the information on the restaurant owner. Newsroom computers and reporters’ cell phones were seized.

The latest lawsuit is one of four launched in the aftermath, with one being filed by a current reporter, another from a former Record reporter, and a third from the paper’s office manager.