A former Medicine Hat police chief has filed a $2 million lawsuit alleging harassment and defamation. Defendants in the lawsuit, including a local police officer facing an obstruction of justice charge, claim that if the court rules in favor of the plaintiff, the blame should fall on the officer.
Mike Worden, who previously served 25 years with the Calgary Police Service before becoming the top cop in Medicine Hat, lodged the lawsuit in 2024. He asserted that during a six-month period in 2022, he was subjected to a deliberate campaign of harassment and blackmail to coerce his resignation.
Worden claimed that his ex-colleagues falsely accused him of sexual misconduct to various parties, leading to his resignation just 16 months into his five-year contract. The defendants named in the lawsuit include a woman with whom Worden had a brief consensual relationship, along with three Medicine Hat Police Service officers: Brent Secondiak, Carissa Witkowski, and Const. Noel Darr. The City of Medicine Hat and the current police chief are also defendants, as is customary in workplace-related suits involving a police officer.
One of the defendants, Const. Noel Darr, is facing a criminal charge for obstruction of justice. In response, four defendants – the city, police chief, Secondiak, and Witkowski – have submitted a third-party claim asserting that any damages suffered by Worden were solely caused by Darr’s actions outside his official duties.
The defendants have refuted all allegations in Worden’s lawsuit and have requested its dismissal. However, they maintain that they should not be held vicariously responsible for Darr’s conduct, arguing that his actions were contrary to the standards expected of a police officer.
Darr, aged 57, was charged with obstruction of justice last summer for allegedly tampering with a witness in Medicine Hat. The Edmonton Police Service, which brought the charge, did not confirm whether it is related to the bribery and harassment claims in Worden’s lawsuit but disclosed that the investigation stemmed from a complaint by a former MHPS employee in February 2022.
Trial dates for Darr have been set for May 2027. Darr has not yet submitted a defense statement in the civil suit. Despite outreach, no response was received from Darr’s legal representative regarding the matter.
The lawsuit alleges that the three officers conspired to portray Worden in a negative light by spreading false claims about inappropriate behavior with women. It includes claims involving sexually-themed text messages and allegations of harassment complaints to the police commission.
A third-party investigation initiated by the commission ultimately cleared Worden of any wrongdoing after the alleged complainant denied filing a report against him.
