A former reporter for a small-town Kansas newspaper has settled her federal lawsuit over a 2023 police raid on the paper's office, according to a court filing submitted on the third anniversary of the search, which drew national attention and raised concerns about press freedoms.
Court records show the lawsuit stemmed from the Aug. 11, 2023, searches of the Marion County Record's office, the home of publisher Eric Meyer and his mother, Joan Meyer, and the home of former City Council member Ruth Herbel. The raid triggered lawsuits against the city, county and officials involved in the searches, with some cases still pending.
In her lawsuit, Phyllis Zorn said the raid violated protections for a free press, safeguards against unreasonable searches
by law enforcement and a federal law that limits searches and seizures of journalists' materials. She also said the search triggered the return of a seizure disorder that had been under control for years and led to other health problems.
Zorn's attorney, Randy Rathbun, and attorney Jennifer Hill, representing the city defendants, filed a joint stipulation on Aug. 11, 2026, dismissing the case with prejudice after the parties reached settlement agreements. The filing does not disclose the settlement amount.
According to the Record, the $850,000 settlement brings the total amount paid to Zorn over the raid to $1.45 million, including a previous $600,000 settlement with Marion County. The newspaper reported that Zorn retired shortly after receiving the county settlement and later moved out of Marion County.
USA TODAY reached out to the City of Marion for comment.
Police raid at Kansas newspaper led to over $3M settlement
The August 2023 raid of the Record's office thrust the small Kansas town into the national spotlight and prompted widespread condemnation from press freedom advocates.
The raid stemmed from accusations against Kari Newell, a local restaurateur. Newell accused the Record of illegally obtaining and leaking information about a drunken-driving incident, according to court documents obtained by USA TODAY.
The paper denied the allegation. Authorities obtained a search warrant that cited probable cause that violations related to identity theft and unlawful acts concerning computers were committed.
Days after the searches, then-Marion County Attorney Joel Ensey said there was insufficient evidence to establish a legally sufficient connection between the alleged crimes under investigation and the places searched or items seized. Authorities later returned the computers, phones and other materials taken during the raid.
In November 2025, Marion County agreed to pay more than $3 million and issued an apology to settle claims stemming from the raid on the newspaper. The sheriff's office also apologized for participation in drafting and executing the search warrants.
More claims remain pending in newspaper raid case
Despite the latest settlement, litigation connected to the raid is not over.
Claims filed by Eric Meyer, the estate of Joan Meyer and the Herbels remain pending against the city, according to the Record. Joan Meyer, who was also a co-owner of the publication, died of a heart attack the day after the raid, and her son said stress from the raid contributed to her death.
The newspaper reported that negotiations over the remaining claims have continued, though the Herbels have indicated they prefer to take their case to trial in hopes of establishing a legal precedent. Eric Meyer and the newspaper have indicated they are open to a settlement if it does not place an undue burden on taxpayers and includes a formal admission that city officials knowingly violated the law for political purposes.
"We want a specific admission of guilt in official court records so that excuse can’t be used again elsewhere," Eric Meyer said, according to the Record.
Former Marion Police Chief Gideon Cody, who resigned two months after the raid, is also facing a criminal case alleging he encouraged the destruction of text messages related to the raid investigation, the newspaper reported.
Contributing: Melina Khan and BrieAnna J. Frank, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Former reporter settles lawsuit over Kansas newspaper raid for $850K
