Chelan County settles in public records lawsuit with deputy
Chelan County paid a deputy with the sheriff's office $15,000 as part of a settlement over a public records lawsuit in which the deputy alleges the sheriff's office failed to produce records it later released to someone else.
Deputy Cole Soreano filed a public records request in August seeking metadata tied to an "unsigned and undated report," according to a news release by his East Wenatchee attorney, Jeremy Burke.
The investigative report "had been given to him by an outside law enforcement agency" and was about an incident where a fellow deputy allegedly assaulted his daughter in May 2023.
Soreano filed the records request Aug. 12, 2025, and the sheriff's office responded 35 days later, stating that no records existed. But the following day, someone else requested the same information, which the sheriff's office produced within 24 hours, according to the news release. The sheriff's office did not update or reopen Soreano's request.
"I felt that my family was being treated differently than others who report serious incidents," Soreano said in the news release. "Everyone deserves a fair and unbiased investigation. I was concerned the Sheriff's Office remained involved after it formally recused itself. When I eventually received the metadata, it confirmed my concerns."
Burke noted that once the Chelan County Prosecuting Attorney's Office became involved in the matter after they filed the lawsuit, "they moved quickly to resolve the issue and limit further costs to taxpayers."
The $15,000 settlement resolved the case, and the county admitted no wrongdoing as part of the agreement.
Sheriff Mike Morrison said in an email that this settlement was reached with no admission of fault and did not interrupt the office's operations.
"I remain proud of the professionalism and dedication shown by our employees, and service to the public remains our top priority as we continue serving this community with transparency, integrity, and accountability," Morrison said.
While this case was settled in court, Soreano has another legal matter left to resolve with the county.
Soreano filed a tort claim through another law firm, Arnold Jacobowitz & Alvarado, in April concerning the incident involving his daughter, alleging his employer "engaged in a pattern of retaliatory conduct," like passing him over for assignments that he was qualified and being subjected to "inappropriate" mental health-related inquiries.
Soreano is claiming $10 million in damages each for emotional, psychological, professional, economic, and reputational damages.
A tort claim is often a precursor to a lawsuit if the county rejects the claim.
Another five deputies have also filed tort claims or even lawsuits in court regarding allegations of abuse by Morrison and his top administration and violations of their First Amendment rights.
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