Gay constable agrees to deal following release of report detailing complaints, judge's ruling sending the case to trial

Mike Dupree

A day after resigning and agreeing to plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge, gay Precinct 5 Constable Mike Dupree defiantly maintained his innocence on Friday, June 29.

"I was really backed into a corner on my options of what to do on this," Dupree told Dallas Voice. "It seemed that this was just a very carefully planned and orchestrated conspiracy to get me out of office."

Dupree's resignation came hours after a judge ruled there was sufficient evidence to warrant a jury trial to determine whether the constable should be removed from office. Dupree, who faced multiple allegations of sexual harassment and corruption, had been under investigation for months by both Dallas County and the state Attorney General.

In exchange for his guilty plea, Dupree will receive deferred adjudication on a misdemeanor charge of abuse of public office, meaning he will not face jail time. He also agreed not to seek public office in Texas again and will relinquish his peace officer license. All pending cases against him will be dropped.

The Commissioners Court was to appoint a temporary replacement for Dupree on Friday and a permanent one in the near future, according to reports.

At Thursday's hearing, retired Judge Richard Mays ruled that multiple affidavits of complaints presented to him met the guidelines for calling a civil trial. Mays was appointed to hear the case in an effort to ensure impartiality because it involves a Dallas County official.

Dan Wyde, who filed a lawsuit on behalf of three Dupree employees and the state, amended his original petition this week to increase the number of plaintiffs to 10. The petition alleged that Dupree had created a hostile work environment because of sexual overtures he made to several male employees; that he had threatened and retaliated against employees who rebuffed his advances; and that he had ordered one or more employees to commit criminal acts.

"He has caused irreparable harm and damage to Dallas County and his department," Wyde told the judge. "This conduct cannot stand. It imperils Dallas County."

Commissioner John Wylie Price, who attended the hearing along with several other county officials, said Dupree had been given the option to resign before the employee's complaints became public, but the constable refused.

"He's had plenty of opportunities to resign," Price said. "A resignation would be the best for everybody's interest."

The complaints against Dupree originally involved a small number of employees complaining about sexual harassment, but that has grown to include a larger number of employees making more serious allegations of wrongdoing, according to Commissioner's Court coordinator Allen Clemson.

"The more you look, the more you find," Clemson said. "It's been a snowball effect. I would have done almost anything to avoid the public revelation of what we've found."

Clemson said there have also been complaints that Dupree used taxpayer's resources for personal gain, such as helping him get re-elected.

Price dismissed Dupree's claim that he is being railroaded as part of a conspiracy to rid Dallas County of gay officials as illogical.

"It's a red herring," said Price, who noted Dupree has been in law enforcement for 27 years, including five years as constable. "I've always known he was gay. Why would it start now?

"He can't hide behind that. That dog doesn't hunt."

On Tuesday, Price had released a 67-page investigative report conducted by retired Judge Maryellen Hicks on behalf of the county.

The report detailed some of the lurid allegations against Dupree, which were corroborated by dozens of employees in his office.