The former acting head of Jefferson County Ambulance has initiated legal action against county officials, claiming her rights were violated during the 2024 selection process for a permanent leadership position.
Judy Heisel worked as the ambulance service’s base manager beginning in 2023. When Director Brian Thomas left in April 2024, she was promoted to interim director and subsequently applied for the permanent role. The county Board of Supervisors chose Joshua Hemminger instead, leading to the November 3rd, 2025 lawsuit.
In the lawsuit, Heisel alleges civil rights violations, retaliation for reporting misconduct, sex discrimination, slander during her job interview, and malicious prosecution. The legal filing targets five defendants: County Attorney Chauncey Moulding, Supervisors Lee Dimmitt and Susie Drish, ex-Supervisor Dee Sandquist, and Dr. Amanda Moreno, who contracts with the county as medical director.
Connection to Employee Discipline
Central to Heisel’s complaint involves her handling of workplace misconduct by EMT Damien Wimmer during spring 2024. The lawsuit describes two separate occasions where Wimmer allegedly performed duties beyond his certification level.
After the initial April incident, which Heisel reported to Moreno and human resources, Wimmer faced suspension. However, the complaint alleges Moreno failed to file mandatory paperwork with state health authorities despite promising to do so.
A second violation allegedly occurred in late May. When regional EMS coordinator Jacob Dodds informed Heisel in mid-June that required state documentation remained unfiled, he provided forms for both incidents. Heisel submitted these directly to Iowa DHHS on June 21st, the same day Wimmer’s employment ended.
The legal filing characterizes Moreno and Wimmer as longtime friends who were vacationing together during a critical phase of the hiring process. This relationship allegedly influenced Moreno’s participation in evaluating Heisel’s candidacy.
Interview Controversy
Supervisors advertised the position from May 13th through June 7th, 2024. Sandquist selected Moreno and Reed for the search committee, with the lawsuit noting Sandquist’s stated intention to heavily weight Moreno’s assessment.
During Heisel’s June 26th closed-session interview, Moreno and Reed joined remotely. The complaint alleges Moreno participated from a Lake of the Ozarks vacation with Wimmer present.
About halfway through the interview, according to the filing, Moreno introduced what she termed an “elephant in the room”—characterizing the ambulance service’s internal situation as a “dumpster fire.”
The lawsuit describes Moreno then questioning Heisel about alleged sexual involvement with former director Thomas. When Heisel declined to address personal matters, Moreno reportedly argued the supervisor-subordinate relationship made it relevant.
The complaint describes escalating tension as Moreno made additional claims about alleged sexual activity at the workplace and purported prescription drug misuse requiring medical monitoring and IV treatment. Drish cautioned Moreno about such accusations, with Moreno responding she was conveying information others had reported to her.
Following the interview, Dimmitt allegedly characterized the questioning as unprofessional.
Three weeks later, Supervisors voted 2-1 to extend the application deadline through July, with Dimmitt dissenting.
The lawsuit references a subsequent conversation where Reed allegedly told Heisel that Moreno’s interview statements created significant liability exposure for the county.
Compensation Questions
The complaint raises salary issues, noting Thomas earned $85,000 before departing and Hemminger received identical compensation upon hiring. Though board minutes indicated Heisel would receive Thomas’s salary when appointed interim director in April, the lawsuit claims her pay remained at the $65,000 base manager level through July.
Employment Conclusion
August 5th, 2024 marked both Hemminger’s hiring announcement and Heisel’s final workday. County officials visited the ambulance facility to facilitate the transition.
Rather than offering the director position, officials presented what the lawsuit characterizes as a vague alternative employment opportunity lacking defined duties, title, or compensation. When Heisel requested specifics, she was allegedly told acceptance must precede disclosure of job details. Officials then produced severance documents, which she declined.
The complaint also references an Iowa Public Information Board filing alleging Supervisors violated open meetings law during June discussions about the hiring.
Criminal Proceedings
The lawsuit addresses criminal charges filed after Moulding provided a sworn statement to Fairfield Police claiming Heisel secretly recorded an August 5th conversation involving Moulding, Assistant County Attorney Elizabeth Estey, and Drish at the ambulance facility.
The Washington County Attorney’s Office handled prosecution due to conflict concerns. A jury acquitted Heisel in June 2025.
