By Harrison Mantas
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
FORT WORTH, Texas — The Fort Worth City Council voted unanimously June 9 to approve a $1.116 million settlement with a police captain who sued the city in August 2024 alleging retaliation and harassment.
Capt. Paula Conaway alleged she was harassed and ultimately demoted from her position as deputy chief for insisting on accountability for officers under her command.
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Her suit accused the city of violating the Whisleblower Act and engaging gender-based discrimination under the Texas Labor Code, according to an August 2024 filing in Tarrant County district court.
The city responded with a general denial while also arguing some of the claims in Conaway’s suit did not meet the legal threshold of violations of the Whistleblower Act.
“After thoroughly reviewing all aspects of the case, the City has determined that settling the lawsuit at this time represents the most effective and responsible use of public resources,” City Attorney Leann Guzman said an emailed statement to the Star-Telegram.
Guzman said the decision was made after careful consideration of “every factor involved” and stressed the city continues to deny any liability or wrongdoing regarding the case.
Representatives for Conaway did not immediately respond to an email and phone call from the Star-Telegram requesting comment.
Conaway said the retaliation started in March 2021 after she issued a written reprimand to an officer accused of repeatedly punching an unresisting driver, according to her lawsuit
Between February and June 2021 , Conaway also recommended a separate officer attend remedial training after reviewing several incident reports alleging questionable conduct, according to the suit.
The suit alleges she was informed the officer resisted calls to attend remedial training going so far as to tell his fellow officers that Internal Affairs could open up an insubordination case on him.
Conaway responded by ordering the officer be placed on desk duty until he completed his remedial course work.
This led to complaints of targeting officers from some in the police department’s South Division including an email from the Fort Worth Police Officers Association that did not mention Conaway, but alluded to her actions, according to the lawsuit.
Former Fort Worth Police Chief Neil Noakes directed Conaway’s supervisor to investigate the claims, which ultimately showed the allegations of targeting were false.
The suit then mentions several instances when Noakes could have corrected the targeting claims, but failed to do so.
It also accused Noakes of gender-based discrimination, pointing to a May 2021 meeting when Noakes offered to transfer Conaway to a “less stressful” command on account of her being several months pregnant and due in November of that year.
The suit goes on to recount several other instances between 2022 and 2023 when Noakes appears to either snub or discount Conaway.
Noakes demoted Conaway from her position as deputy chief in July 2023 claiming, according to the lawsuit, “no one wanted to work for DC Conaway for fear that she would target them.”
This demotion also led to a significant pay cut, according to Conaway’s suit.
Conaway, who has been with the department since August 2001, makes roughly $156,145 annually as a police captain in the police force analysis section, according to city salary data obtained by the Star-Telegram in a February 2026 public records request.
Pay for deputy chiefs in the department range from $198,000 to $210,000 annually, according to data from the records request.
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