Mary Nelson, a former EMT for the Town of Mountainair has filed a lawsuit against the town after she says she was wrongfully terminated, harassed and defamed by town employees.
The lawsuit, filed on July 17, alleges that during Nelson’s employment, Mountainair Fire Chief Josh Archuleta “constantly requested Nelson to join him and Archuleta’s wife in some sort of sexual encounter.” The messages continued despite Nelson repeatedly asking for them to stop.
Nelson is also alleging a breach of employment contract and a violation of the New Mexico Civil Rights Act. According to the lawsuit, Nelson, who was terminated from the Mountainair EMS Department in December 2023, was fired in retaliation against her mother, Betty Nelson, who was the former EMS director for Mountainair.
The lawsuit alleges that Mountainair Mayor Peter Nieto called Mary into the Town Hall on Nov. 29 and told her she would “no longer be paid after December 1” and claimed “[her] termination was not retaliation against Betty Nelson, ‘but it kind of is.’”
Nelson also alleges that former Mountainair Police Chief Juan Reyes made defamatory statements and false allegations against her to other officers. Nelson says in the lawsuit that Reyes told newly hired police officers to stay away from her and that she was the reason other officers had left the department.
The lawsuit states Nelson filed a formal complaint about the police chief in September 2021.
Following Nelson’s complaint about the police chief, the lawsuit alleges Mesilla Valley Private Investigations was hired by the town to conduct an investigation into the complaints about the defamatory statements made by the police chief. The lawsuit says that Mesilla Valley Private Investigations submitted a written report to Nieto and that Reyes refused to answer any questions. The lawsuit says the report was never provided to Nelson.
Reyes resigned as police chief in August 2022.
The Independent reached out to Nelson’s lawyer and Nieto but did not hear back as of press time.