Prince George’s County has been ordered to pay $1.8 million to a former police officer who accused a superior of sexual assault and the department of retaliation.
Kara McMurray, a former officer with the Prince George’s County Police Department, was awarded the damages in a June 17 ruling from the U.S. District Court in Maryland. The court found PGCPD liable for battery, false imprisonment, and civil rights violations stemming from a 2017 incident involving then-Lt. Richard Tallant.
McMurray said Tallant assaulted her at a Fraternal Order of Police lodge in February 2017. She didn’t report the assault immediately, citing fears of retaliation due to Tallant’s ties within the department.
The case came to light two years later, in June 2019, when another PGCPD officer — who was dating Tallant — reported the incident, triggering an internal investigation. That probe quickly leaked, and McMurray said she became the target of rumors, verbal abuse and harassment from fellow officers.
The investigation was later transferred to the State’s Attorney’s Office, and Tallant was convicted in December 2019 of a second-degree sexual offense.
McMurray ultimately resigned in 2021, citing a hostile work environment, lost advancement opportunities and difficulty securing outside employment.
In a separate ruling last month, the court found PGCPD also violated Title VII protections and ordered the department to pay McMurray both back and front pay.
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