Employee alleges sexual impropriety by staff at CCUSO

An employee of Iowa’s state-run Civil Commitment Unit for Sex Offenders is suing the state, alleging sexual improprieties by the staff, including the former clinical director.

It is the second time a clinical director of the unit — which provides treatment for criminally convicted sexual offenders — has been accused of sexual improprieties.

Keisha Mammen, a treatment program supervisor in the unit, is suing the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, which runs the unit, and her supervisor, Matthew Boothby, in Polk County District Court. Mammen is accusing DHHS and Boothby of sex discrimination, sexual harassment and unequal pay.

In a separate complaint Mammen filed in January with the Iowa Civil Service Commission, Mammen listed some of the misconduct she has allegedly witnessed while working in the unit and stated that she has retained text messages and videos to support her claims.

Among the alleged incidents:

— Nude video: A supervisor, Jordan Frahm, sent Mammen a video of himself “completely nude, jumping off a roof into a pool,” Mammen alleged. Frahm sent her the video, Mammen alleged, while the two were participating in training on how to investigate employee misconduct. Frahm allegedly followed up the video with a text message that stated, “Discipline this, DAS” — an apparent reference to the Department of Administrative Services, which handles employee disciplinary matters for the state.

Mammen alleges she reported the matter to Boothby who questioned whether Frahm had merely forwarded to her an internet meme. “I replied, ‘No, it is Jordan Frahm completely naked,'” Mammen wrote in her complaint.

— Clinical director: Clint Frederiksen, the clinical director of the Civil Commitment Unit for Sex Offenders, was forced to resign last year, Mammen alleged, due to sexually inappropriate conduct with employees. Frederiksen had made sexual advances toward her, Mammen wrote in her complaint, by calling her on the phone and “encouraging a sexual relationship and promises of advancement with his support.” Mammen also wrote: “I did have a sexual affair on two occasions outside of work with Clint and almost ruined my marriage. Clint advised me to never report it as it would cost me my job.”

Frederiksen resigned in October 2023. According to the Cherokee Chronicle Times, he agreed to quit in lieu being fired after DHHS concluded he had violated state policies on sexual harassment.

— Complaint ruled unfounded: In the summer of 2022, a staff member “did something to a patient that was against policy,” Mammen alleged without elaborating. She stated that she reported the matter and archived security footage that confirmed what had transpired. She alleged that a colleague, Tony Henderson, then berated her for her actions and told her, “There are other ways to gain respect than ruining a man’s 13-year career.” Mammen alleged the patient’s family reported the incident to the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing, which investigated the matter and subsequently determined the family’s complaint was unfounded.

— Patient boundary issues: In late 2022, Mammen alleged, a colleague reported that a female employee in the unit seemed to have boundary issues with a particular patient. Mammen said she reviewed security camera footage and noticed the female employee was taking a break from her assigned duties to play cards with the patient. Mammen alleged Henderson then approached her and told her she needed to quit accusing the staff of misconduct or he’d have her assigned to the day shift under his supervision. Later, Mammen alleged, the female employee was found to be engaged in an inappropriate relationship with the patient, was placed on administrative leave and then resigned.

— Harassment complaint: After an employee made a sexual harassment complaint, Mammen alleged, she asked Boothby what she should do about the matter. Henderson, who was in the room, allegedly spoke up and said, “Nothing. It was months ago and you’re not doing s — with it.” Boothby allegedly told Mammen, “I’m sorry, I’m not going to make you sweep that under the rug. You need to file a complaint on behalf of the employee.”

When contacted by Iowa Capital Dispatch, Boothby referred questions on the allegations to Brad Whitrock, the unit’s assistant superintendent. Whitrock and Frahm referred all questions to a DHHS spokesperson who declined to comment. Henderson did not immediately return messages seeking comment, and Frederiksen could not be reached for comment.

State records indicate Frederiksen replaced Shannon Sanders as the clinical director of the Civil Commitment Unit for Sex Offenders. According to civil court filings, Sanders had been fired by the state for failing to file reports as required. However, the Associated Press obtained a copy of Sanders’ separation letter with the state and reported that the letter indicates Sanders was fired due to “boundary violations” she committed with a patient and that she had performed special favors for the man, lied to protect him and failed to report that he had personal feelings for her.

The patient in question, Jeff Goodwin, sued the state, alleging Sanders allowed him to masturbate in front of her and that the two watched pornography together and shared details of their sexual histories — allegations the state denied. Goodwin’s lawsuit was dismissed earlier this year when a judge ruled that his attorneys had failed to file a certificate of merit based on an expert’s opinion that the accepted standards of care had been breached. The dismissal has been appealed to the Iowa Supreme Court.

According to her lawsuit, Mammen was hired by DHHS in July 2020 to work as a psychiatric security specialist in the Cherokee facility. In May 2021, she was promoted to treatment program supervisor, the position she still holds.

She alleges that in October 2023, she applied for a position as a public service supervisor and was denied an interview despite a work history that included awards for exemplary service and no disciplinary action.