Scott Childers resigns as Ray County sheriff following investigation

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Scott Childers officially resigned as sheriff for Ray County, Missouri on Monday.

In 2020, Childers took over the sheriff’s seat. But earlier this year, he was removed from office after a lawsuit from the Missouri Attorney General’s Office, alleging Childers knowingly allows detainees to leave the county jail .

The lawsuit also accused Childers of inappropriately using inmates to work on his and his friends’ properties — including people who have contributed to his campaign. The lawsuit said Childers even posted about it on social media.

According to a news release from Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey’s office, as part of the finalized settlement agreement, Childers has resigned from his position effective Monday, Aug. 19, and has been stripped of his Peace Officer Standards and Training certification and will not be allowed to serve in Missouri law enforcement ever again.

Childers posted a video on Facebook Monday announcing his resignation and saying that after losing in the Aug. 6 primary election for sheriff against Gary Blackwell, “there was no use to keep fighting the quo warranto.”

“I had to put what was best for my family’s interest first and that’s not to keep spending money on something that really doesn’t matter at this point,” he added.

Childers went on to say that none of the allegations in the lawsuit were proven.

“If anything like that happened, it was without my acknowledgement,” he continued. “I’ve always done things the right way, I’ve made plenty of mistakes, but I’ve admitted to those.”

The Missouri Attorney General’s Office said it will dismiss the lawsuit.

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