Kansas Town to Pay $850,000 to Settle Reporter’s Lawsuit Over Newspaper Raid

By Blessing Nweke

Kansas, has agreed to pay $850,000 to former newspaper reporter Phyllis Zorn to settle a federal lawsuit stemming from a controversial police raid on the Marion County Record in 2023. The settlement was announced Tuesday, three years after authorities raided the newspaper’s offices and several homes in the small community.

Zorn, who has since retired, argued that the raid violated her First Amendment press freedoms and constitutional protections against unreasonable searches. She also said the stress caused by the incident contributed to the return of serious seizures that had previously been controlled with medication.

The raid was led by then-Marion Police Chief Gideon Cody as part of an investigation into whether the newspaper had illegally obtained a local restaurant owner’s driving record. However, subsequent reviews determined that the searches were not legally justified. Zorn and other journalists argued that the action was retaliation for the newspaper’s reporting and its investigation into Cody’s professional background.

The incident attracted national attention and sparked a broader debate over press freedom and police power. Cody later resigned, while lawsuits were filed against the city, county and other officials.

The latest settlement is part of a wider legal battle. Marion County previously agreed to pay more than $3 million to settle claims in five related lawsuits, including $600,000 to Zorn. Some cases involving city officials remain unresolved, with a pretrial hearing scheduled for October.

The settlement underscores the continuing legal and financial consequences of the 2023 raid and its impact on a small-town newspaper.