SKAGIT COUNTY, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – A former detective with the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office is suing the county over claims of gender discrimination and harassment.
Samantha Robinson filed the suit in Skagit County Superior Court on Feb. 18, as first reported by Cascadia Daily News.
It names Whatcom County as a defendant, along with Sheriff Donnell Tanksley, Robinson’s supervisor Lt. Keith Linderman and her fellow detective Derek Jones.
The allegations laid out in the suit are similar to those included in the $30 million tort claim she filed in Whatcom County last October.
Her complaint details years of harassment and humiliation she says she suffered as the only female detective with the agency at the time, going back to her hiring in 2015.
According to the complaint, the series of events culminated when Jones released an AI-fabricated video in April 2025 containing explicit content involving Robinson and his father, which was shared with detectives and patrol officers.
Sheriff Donnell Tanksley told KGMI that he opened two separate investigations into Robinson’s claims; one being done internally by a third-party firm. Jones was placed on administrative leave as Mount Vernon police conducted the other criminal investigation into his actions. MVPD Lt. Mike Moore says the department finished its investigation and sent it to the Skagit County Prosecuting Attorney, who declined to file charges.
Robinson is requesting a trial to receive compensation for lost wages, benefits and bonuses, along with other damages.
She sent a notice of resignation to the county on the same day she filed the lawsuit.
