The suit, brought by a man involved in a domestic custody dispute, accuses the chief of interfering with a Watauga County Child Protective Services investigation into abuse allegations. The plaintiff alleges Duckworth used his relationships within county government to steer the inquiry and that the investigation was shut down without legal action.

According to the complaint, Watauga County CPS opened an investigation into allegations of child abuse against the woman. After interviewing the children, investigators made initial determinations that the children were unsafe with her, and a judge granted the co-parent temporary emergency custody.

The lawsuit alleges that at the time, the woman was in an ongoing romantic relationship with Duckworth and had told the children that the chief would get involved and that "everything would be OK."

The complaint further alleges that Duckworth used his position as police chief and his relationship with Department of Social Services Director Tom Hughes to influence how the investigation was handled, including alleged interference with interviews and manipulation of evidence. It claims the chief spoke about the investigation with contacts at the Watauga County department of social services and interfered with interviews conducted with the children.

After Duckworth became involved, the lawsuit alleges, the Watauga CPS investigation stalled — even though investigators in Avery County, where the man lived, had also raised serious concerns about the children's safety with the woman. The suit states that Avery County CPS told the man that Watauga County investigators refused to accept or include Avery County's evidence, opinions, or recommendations.

The lawsuit alleges that following the chief's involvement, CPS investigators manipulated records and ultimately closed the investigation without filing any legal actions. It also claims Duckworth used a prior romantic relationship with a different woman at the Watauga County Sheriff's Office to shut down a separate investigation into the woman accused of abuse. Some of the claims about the chief's influence rely on law enforcement sources cited in the complaint.

Watauga County Manager Deron Geouque said in an email that the county is constrained in what it can say publicly. "Because this matter involves pending litigation and potentially confidential child protective services information, we are limited in what we can publicly discuss," Geouque said. "We take matters involving the safety and welfare of children, as well as the integrity of our investigative processes, very seriously."

Chief Duckworth had not responded to a request for comment at the time of publication.

The lawsuit raises questions about the boundaries between local law enforcement and child welfare agencies, and whether personal relationships can compromise investigations meant to protect vulnerable children. It also highlights the challenges of cross-county coordination in abuse cases, where evidence and recommendations from one county may be disregarded by another.

The case is pending in federal court. No criminal charges have been filed against the individuals involved in the custody dispute, and the children are not being identified.