TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) – Soldier Kansas was one of many areas hit hard by storms in NE Kansas Wednesday night.

“Came home to a horrible disaster. If I wouldn’t have been at work my car would have been parked right under where this roof has come off of our home,” says Pamela Powell whose home was damaged by storms.

This couple returned home to find the storm had ripped their roof off.

“And as I came back around the corner as I came home I was flabbergasted. I couldn’t figure out what was laying on my house and then I realized it was my roof,” says Ron Youngs whose home was damaged by storms.

“This has been kinda emotional and very shocking. You don’t think these things will happen to you then here you are it’s happened to you,” says Powell.

Community members like Luke Schreiber says neighbors helping neighbors is just how it works around here.

“Right after the storm it was still raining but the wind had died down and there were people out on the streets, the mayor, city council folks, a person or two from the fire department then just other community folks. That’s kinda what folks do around here,” says Schreiber.

“As soon as people heard I had this loss they came. It was still raining they started to help me put things into tubs and help me move things out of where the collapsed area was,” says Youngs.

The couple says now they are just grateful for the community coming together to help.

“I appreciate anybody’s help even if it’s to come bring us some water or talk us through something or anything. I appreciate it,” says Powell.

“I’ve had a lot of people come together for me and I appreciate it because I wouldn’t know what to do if it wasn’t for the people in my life. Thank God for Soldier Kansas. I don’t know where else people help people like this,” says Youngs.

The couple has a second home that still needs plumbing and electricity. They say they hope to move in soon.

Any donations can be sent to them through the Denison State Bank in Holton under Pamela Powell’s name.

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TOPEKA, Kan. — Kansas will pay $50,000 to settle a federal anti-discrimination lawsuit filed by a former state Highway Patrol employee who claimed to have been fired for coming out as transgender.

Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly and eight leaders of the Republican-controlled Legislature unanimously approved the settlement during a brief online video conference Thursday. The state attorney general’s office pursued the settlement in defending the Highway Patrol, but any agreement it reaches also must be approved by the governor and top lawmakers.

Kelly and the legislators didn’t publicly discuss the settlement, and the amount wasn’t disclosed until the state released their formal resolution approving the settlement nearly four hours after their meeting. Kelly’s office and the offices of Senate President Ty Masterson and House Speaker Dan Hawkins did not respond to emails seeking comment after the meeting.

The former employee’s attorney declined to discuss the settlement before state officials met Thursday and did not return a telephone message seeking comment afterward. The lawsuit did not specify the amount sought, but said it was seeking damages for lost wages, suffering, emotional pain and “loss of enjoyment of life.”

The ex-employee was a buildings and grounds manager in the patrol’s Topeka headquarters and sued after being fired in June 2022. The patrol said the ex-employee had been accused of sexual harassment and wasn’t cooperative enough with an internal investigation. The lawsuit alleged that reason was a pretext for terminating a transgender worker.

The settlement came four months after U.S. District Judge John Broomes rejected the state’s request to dismiss the lawsuit before a trial. Broomes ruled there are “genuine issues of material fact” for a jury to settle.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2020 that a landmark 1964 federal civil rights law barring sex discrimination in employment also bars anti-LGBTQ+ bias.

Court documents said the former Highway Patrol employee, a Topeka resident sought to socially transition at work from male to female. The ex-employee’s last name was listed as Dawes, but court records used a male first name and male pronouns. It wasn’t clear Thursday what first name or pronouns Dawes uses now.

In a December 2023 court filing, Dawes’ attorney said top patrol leaders met “a couple of months” before Dawes’ firing to discuss Dawes being transgender and firing Dawes for that reason.

The patrol acknowledged the meeting occurred but said the leaders decided to get legal advice about the patrol’s “responsibilities in accommodating Dawes” in socially transitioning at work, according to a court filing by a state attorney in November 2023.

Court filings said the meeting wasn’t documented, something Dawes’ attorney called “a serious procedural irregularity.”

The patrol said in its court filings that Dawes’ firing was not related to Dawes being transgender.

It said another female employee had complained that in May 2022, Dawes had complimented her looks and told her “how nice it was to see a female really taking care of herself.” Dawes also sent her an email in June 2022 that began, “Just a note to tell you that I think you look absolutely amazing today!” The other employee took both as sexual advances, it said.

Dawes acknowledged the interactions, but Dawes’ attorney said Dawes hadn’t been disciplined for those comments before being fired — and if Dawes had been, the likely punishment would have only been a reprimand.

The patrol said it fired Dawes for refusing the first time an investigator sought to interview him about the other employee’s allegations. The patrol said Dawes claimed not to be prepared, while Dawes claimed to want to have an attorney present.

Dawes was interviewed three days later, but the patrol said refusing the first interview warranted Dawes’ firing because patrol policy requires “full cooperation” with an internal investigation.

“Dawes can point to no person who is not transgender who was treated more favorably than transgender persons,” the state said in its November 2023 filing.

Last season Kansas State linebacker Austin Romaine was just like any other freshman.

He started fast before slumping to the finish line.

Now, the Wildcats hope he’s fully acclimated to college football so he can produce at a high level for a full season.

“Last year I think he just got caught up in how long of a season is,” K-State defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman said. “He started off hot. We liked him. I thought he’d be good in a reserve role.

Everything changed when veteran Daniel Green was lost to injury for the season in early September. It thrust Romaine into the lineup perhaps earlier than expected.

“All of a sudden, he’s playing a lot more,” Klanderman said. “He did well initially. I think by Week Eight, Nine, 10, when his body and mind are starting to wear down, that’s a lot different intensity than high school football.” 

The year wasn’t a complete wash for Romaine. He finished with 22 tackles and one sack. His five starts were the most by a freshman linebacker since 1988.

Klanderman still calls him an “upper echelon player” who they expect to contribute often.

“He retooled himself and this spring he was awesome,” Klanderman said. “We were kind of waiting to see if there was an encore performance of that this fall and there has been. He’s been sensational.” 

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Kansas State On SI. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com

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