Marion, Kansas settles former reporter's lawsuit for $850,000

Marion, Kansas will pay $850,000 to former Marion County Record reporter Phyllis Zorn to conclude her federal lawsuit alleging that a 2023 police raid on the newspaper’s offices breached constitutional safeguards and caused a resurgence of life-threatening seizures. Zorn’s lawyer Randy Rathbun and city attorney Jennifer Hill issued a joint filing on the raid’s third anniversary stating the case is dismissed. Police chief Gideon Cody, who later stepped down, had claimed the raid was unjustified, and investigations suggested it was retaliation for investigative reporting.

The settlement is part of a broader $3 million package the county approved to resolve five related suits, though a few claims remain and a pre-trial hearing is set for October. Additional legal actions include a felony obstruction charge against Cody, which has been postponed pending a new trial date.