Jefferson City, MO – The Missouri Attorney General, Andrew Bailey, announced on Monday, August 19, that a settlement agreement had been finalized, resulting in Ray County Sheriff Scott Childers’ resignation and the permanent revocation of his ability to work in law enforcement within the state of Missouri. This settlement marks the conclusion of legal proceedings that had sought Childers’ removal from office due to a series of alleged violations of Missouri law.
According to the official statement from Attorney General Bailey, Childers engaged in a series of misconducts, including the unlawful release of detainees from the Ray County Jail and permitting them to engage in unsupervised activities within the community. The Attorney General’s office also alleged that Childers allowed detainees to bring contraband into the jail and improperly benefited from keeping pretrial detainees incarcerated. As part of the settlement, Childers has surrendered his Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) certification, effectively ending his law enforcement career in Missouri.
“This outcome is a major win for the residents of Ray County who have been forced to watch the perpetrators of their crimes roam freely in their communities due to the negligent actions of those sworn to protect them,” said Attorney General Bailey in his statement. “We will continue to fight for Missourians across the state by holding bad actors accountable.”
In a video posted on his Facebook page the same day, Childers presented a different narrative, stating that his decision to step down was voluntary and motivated by a desire to spend more time with his family. “I turned in my resignation… There was no use to keep fighting the quo warranto. I had to put what was best for my family’s interests first,” Childers said in the video. He further noted that he chose to retire from law enforcement, citing the toll the career had taken on his personal life over the years.
Childers also used the video to refute some of the allegations made against him, particularly those related to contraband and the misuse of detainees. “The facts weren’t ever proven. Just the things that were said, that alcohol, women, and drugs were being provided. None of that was proven nor did that ever happen,” he stated.
Adding to the complexities of his departure, Childers had recently lost his bid for re-election in the August primary, a defeat that, as he acknowledged, diminished his hopes of returning to office. The loss, coupled with the legal challenges and the eventual settlement, has definitively ended Childers’ career in law enforcement.
Despite the controversy surrounding his departure, Childers expressed gratitude for the support he received from Ray County residents and indicated that he intends to remain active in the community, albeit in a non-law enforcement capacity. “I love Ray County. I’m not leaving Ray County. I will be involved and try and make sure that the county heads in the right direction,” he said. How Childers will stay involved is yet to be revealed.
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