Settlement agreement reached in Carroll County Jail incident

News

August 24th, 2025 by Ric Hanson

(Carroll, Iowa) – The City of Carroll and Carroll County have finalized a settlement agreement to avoid litigation over alleged civil rights violations at the Carroll County Jail. Multiple media reports state that according to the agreement, the Iowa Communities Assurance Pool (ICAP), on behalf of the city and county, paid Chloe Bandow of Carroll a combined $450,000 via the Bandow Settlement Trust to release both entities from liability concerning an incident at the jail on Nov. 24, 2024.
According to district court records, Bandow was taken into custody on that date by the Carroll Police Department on charges of assault on persons in certain occupations, a serious misdemeanor, and first-offense domestic abuse assault, a simple misdemeanor. The agreement acknowledges “infractions” by jailers and law enforcement while Bandow was in custody at the jail.
In a statement after the settlement had been finalized, Bandow’s attorney, Dave O’Brien, says, “One female deputy directed three male officers to forcibly strip Chloe completely naked despite her presenting only minimal resistance. Bandow, a petite, 115-pound intoxicated detainee, was not completely cooperative but posed no physical threat. The officers left her naked and menstruating in a padded cell for approximately thirty minutes before providing clothing or sanitary supplies.”
As part of the agreement, the jailers involved with Bandow’s booking were issued warnings and underwent additional review of the incident to identify best practices. Both the city and the county deny that they have done anything improper or illegal concerning the incident, and the settlement releases them, as well as any past, current, or future employees, from liability.
The bulk of the settlement, $445,000, will be paid by ICAP. The remaining $5,000 is split between the county and the city, $3,000 and $2,000, respectively, as those are the per-claim deductibles outlined in their insurance policies. The assault on a person in certain occupations charge against Bandow was later dismissed by the courts, and she received a deferred judgment for the domestic abuse count.