Three Baldwin police officers are seeking $300,000 in damages from the city for rights violations and are threatening to go to court if they don’t get it.

The officers say their due process, civil and free speech rights were violated last year as a result of an investigation into the Police Department.

Notices of intent to file a lawsuit were sent to city council members Friday by Cpl. William Dempsey and Officers Charles Woolsoncroft and Eric Garcia. They are being represented by Ozawkie attorney Dennis Hawver.

The notice to sue the city also contains an attachment that is a transcript of a telephone conversation recorded between Dempsey and Baldwin Mayor Ken Hayes.

None of the officers nor Hawver could be reached for comment late Monday.

Hayes called the threat to sue “ridiculous.” Hayes said two of the three officers were suspended for one day after some disciplinary action was taken stemming from last year’s investigation of the Police Department by the Kansas Highway Patrol and a special investigator.

Hayes did not identify the two suspended officers. He said the suspensions amounted to several hundred dollars in lost wages but not $300,000.

Hayes also said he was “very disappointed” about his telephone conversation being taped without his knowledge.

“The city of Baldwin will fight this to the end,” Hayes said. “This is ridiculous.”