Betrayal Weekly - The Golden Few | EP 7 | Karoline's Story

Episode Date: July 3, 2025

Joel Kern wasn’t alone in his bad behavior. More allegations of misconduct at the CSPD come to light.   If you would like to reach out to the Betrayal Team, email us at [e-mail] and follow us on Instagram at @betrayalpod.    To access our newsletter and additional content and to connect with the Betrayal community, join our Substack at betrayal.substack.com.     You can listen to new episodes of Betrayal Season 4 completely ad-free and 1 week early with an iHeart True Crime+ subscription, available exclusively on Apple Podcasts.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Hey, I'm Dr. Maya Shunker, a cognitive scientist and hosts of the podcast, a slight change of plans, a show about who we are and who we become when life makes other plans. I wish that I hadn't resisted for so long the need to change. We have to be willing to live with a kind of uncertainty that none of us likes. You can have opinions. You can have like a strong,

dance. And then there's your body having its own program. Listen to a slight change of plans on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hi listeners, I'm Anna Sinfield, host of The Girlfriends Trust Me Babe. I'm excited to share the Girlfriends Trust Me Babe story with you. And I want to let you know that you can get access to all episodes of season one, two, three, and four of The Girlfriends. And every single episode, of The Girlfriends Trust Me Babe, 100% ad-free with an I-heart True Crime Plus subscription. Available exclusively on Apple Podcasts.

Plus, you'll get access to all episodes of The Girlfriends Trust Me, Babe, one week ahead of everyone else. Available only to I-Heart True Crime Plus subscribers. So don't wait, head to Apple Podcasts, search for I-Heart True Crime Plus, and subscribe today. Hi, listeners. I'm Jamal Jordan, the host of Roershack,

at City Hall podcast. In July 2003, Councilman James E. Davis, an ambitious rising star in Brooklyn politics, was murdered inside New York City Hall, shot to death in front of more than 200 people. The killer? His political opponent, a man named Neil Askew.

The full story of this shocking public murder and the relationship between these two men has not yet been told. Until now. I want to let you know that you can get access to all episodes of Roershack

Murder at City Hall 100% ad-free with an I-Heart True Crime Plus subscription available exclusively on Apple Podcasts. Plus, you'll get access to all episodes

of Roershack Murder at City Hall one week ahead of everyone else available only to I-Heart True Crime Plus subscribers. So don't wait. Head to Apple Podcasts, search for I-Heart True Crime Plus, and subscribe

today. Saturday, May 2nd, country's biggest stars will be in Austin, Texas at our 2026 I-Hard Country Festival presented by Capital One. Tickets are on sale now. Get yours before they sell out at Ticketmaster.com. That's Ticketmaster.com. Hey guys, before we dive into the episode, we have exciting news. Betrayal is coming to Substack, which is an online community. We're calling our Substack Beyond Betrayal. where we dive deeper into the stories you hear on this show. Please consider joining our community to gain access to exclusive content, engage with me and subjects, as well as connect with others who have experienced betrayal.

Just head to Betrayal.substack. That's S-U-B-S-T-A-C, or just go to Substack.com, search beyond Betrayal and hit subscribe. He would come into my bedroom and say, he was clearing the house, but I'm sleeping in bed and I have a gun and a flashlight in my face. He just played by different rules and everyone just accepted that. I'm Andrea Gunning and this is Betrayal Season 4, Episode 7. The Golden Few. Every week, our team at Betrayal receives dozens of emails from people devastated by infidelity. Stories of betrayal that are painful and deeply personal.

and we read every single one. We hear stories of people abusing their power as teachers, doctors, and lawyers. But when we got the email from Caroline Borega, we knew that this was more than a personal betrayal to her and her family. If you were the victim of a violent crime and called 911 in crisis, think about who you would want to respond to your call. Joel's actions aren't the most egregious case of police misconduct we can find. far from it. But it's an everyday case of an officer abusing his power, lying about it,

and escaping termination. That's what resonated with us. Think about it. Our entire justice system relies on the integrity and character of cops. As President Obama described police officers, they are the tips on the spears of a societal order. That's Will Aitason, a lawyer. A little who's worked with police unions for decades. You heard from him in the last episode. He says, our society depends upon the trust we place in the police. We get police officers' responsibility. We tell them, you're going to have the authority to deprive somebody of their liberty by arresting them.

You're going to have the ability under circumstances to use force against them, to take them into custody, and under rare circumstances to use deadly force, that responsibility that we give police officers demands 100% truthfulness on the part of the police officer. No question about it. We talked to another expert, former Maryland State Police Major Neil Franklin. He works on issues surrounding policing all over the country.

He agreed that truthfulness needs to be a court. value of all officers. We need to be about telling the truth because a critical job function that we have is testifying in court. Just about every case in our legal system from a traffic citation to a murder trial relies on the word of cops. And when a police officer's character is called into question, entire cases fall apart. Just think of the O.J. Simpson trial.

When the lead detective used racial slurs. and then lied about it. It threw his credibility into question, or the Karen Reed trial in Boston, where the lead investigator was caught sending highly inappropriate messages about the defendant. The fact that each of these cops couldn't be trusted undermined the prosecution's entire case.

If you can't trust cops, you have no rule of law. If you cannot testify in court, you don't have that level of integrity, You can't perform an essential job function, so you can't be a police officer. At least that's my perspective on it. Honesty, integrity, and high moral character are job requirements for police officers. But does the culture really reflect that at the Colorado Springs Police Department? We met a civilian employee who recently retired from CSPD.

We'll call her Barb. She shared a story that gave more insight into how things worked at the department and into Joel Kern's connections. And we've distorted her voice to protect her privacy. So I heard this rumor that Joel had been having an affair with someone from DHS, which I believe is a Department of Human Services. That was the rumor and I was like, I don't think so. Because I had seen him around his family.

I was like, he can't be that kind of a dog. And it bothered me. To be clear, what really upset this former CSPD employee, Barb, was that someone was spreading rumors about a married and respected officer at work. She thought it was careless at best, damaging at worst. She wanted to shut it down. So I went to my chain of command and I said, hey, you know, this really bothers me. This is what I've heard.

And it just can't be right. Well, he turns around and calls Joel. Her boss didn't even ask who was spreading the rumor. Her reason for reporting it was to stop. Stop harmful gossip. I was expecting some kind of reassurance that, okay, this is not cool and it's not right. I didn't get that.

He actually spoke very disparagingly about Caroline. He's like, oh, she's going to have him by the balls, and, you know, she's going to lose her mind, and she's going to take the house, this, that, and the other, and, you know, she's such a bitch. And I'm like, okay, I guess the few times I've seen her I didn't pick up on that. Barb was completely taken aback at her supervisor's response. He wasn't interested in shutting down the rumor, just justifying it.

She had originally been trying to protect Joel, a man she saw as one of the good ones. No, he got right on the phone and called Joel, who then the next time I saw him wanted to kill me, just in the looks I got. Barb didn't know what to make of it all. Her boss's reaction, the sudden shift in tone, Joel, whom she had once liked and respected, now treated her with cold hostility.

Then something happened with a female colleague, a friend of Barb's. Joel started sending her sexually suggestive texts. He texted her and she looked up and was like, no, no, there'll be none of that. So I'm like, okay, he thinks that you're vulnerable and you're going to show him that you're not, which I'm thankful that she did in her name is. ever come up in any of this stuff. She was uncomfortable by it. And I think that she was a little bit closer to the positions of power than I was.

So she may have already understood things were going on that I was not privy to. This incident made Barb look at Joel's treatment towards her in a whole new light. Maybe the rumors about Joel weren't rumors at all. Looking back now, she can't help but wonder if he became cold to her because she was on to him. Through our reporting, we uncovered even more allegations of misconduct within the Colorado Springs Police Department. It revealed a culture, one that doesn't just allow for bad behavior to occur. It's a culture where good officers may find themselves sidelined, and those who bend the truth don't seem to face the consequences you'd expect. The culture at CSPD is exceptionally toxic, and the toxicity is all about the people in charge.

That's John. He is one of the few individuals with inside knowledge of the CSPD who was willing to speak on the record. We offered him the option to use a pseudonym for his protection, but he didn't want it. I'm fine with John. I was there for 12 years. I don't care that they know who I am. John isn't just a former CSPD officer. He's a 30-year military veteran who rose to the rank of colonel.

After a tour in Iraq, he returned home determined to serve his community. He says it's the same intention most officers come in with. If you sat in on interviews with potential police candidates, every single one of them is going to tell you something along the lines of, I want to help people. But when John started at CSPD, he quickly realized that the department was not what he expected. The folks at CSPD get promoted based on

whether or not they play golf with the chief, you know, it's all about me. If I'm in, if I'm a sergeant or above, it's all about what, how can I use this position for myself. John's first indication that something was wrong came during a crisis. We had an event where a colleague of mine, a friend and a colleague, was killed in the line of duty and a motorcycle crash. The officer's name was Matt Tyner. Matt was actually one of my instructors in the academy.

me. And he was one of those guys that I would reach out to for mentorship and advice. And how would you handle this? Because I knew what he told me was going to be solid. He was also a man of impeccable integrity and character. Yeah, I'm having a hard time talking about it. But he's the kind of cop that I wanted to be. Matt was in pursuit of a suspect when he was killed. Cops know there's a risk every time they respond to a call. Any shift could be their last. Still, Matt's death hit John hard. It was devastating.

And the way he found out his mentor had been killed made it even worse. I found out about it on Facebook. Somebody on the scene used their phone to take a video of this and posted it. He actually was alive for about 45 minutes and he suffered terribly. And that's how Matt's family found out about it through social media. they watched their loved one suffer. I was absolutely incensed because in the Army, we've been dealing with this for two decades.

John knew there was a better way to shield a fallen officer's family. He'd seen what worked in the Army. That's when he offered a solution. They could manage a notification process so that Matt's family hears from the department before they start seeing things on social media. So I voiced my opinion through, an email to my sergeant and I asked for it to be escalated so that they would start taking this

into account. He went through the chain of command, but his suggestion was taken as an insult. The next day, I was called into the commander's office and given the knife hand and yelled out about knowing my place. My place was to answer the radio calls. That process still has not been adopted that are even considered because the idea came from a lowly line-level worker rather than somebody who is in a management role. It's like, you know, I may have some expertise in this arena that you could take advantage of, but if it doesn't come from one of them, it's not a good idea. It was a rude awakening.

As the years went on, his concerns only grew. During his tenure at CSPD, John spent several years as a DUI officer. These officers receive special training, assist with fatal accidents, and work to stop impaired drivers. DUI officers carry the weight of protecting lives every day. There are more people being killed by drunk drivers than there are from homicide. The city is divided into patrol divisions, and there are two DUI officers in each. When John joined the division, his counterpart was a legend, Officer Glenn Thomas, a name everyone knew in DUI enforcement.

He was known locally as the DUI God. He was the guy. He arrested the most. Everyone we spoke to told us about Glenn's charisma and charm. He's a big personality. Glenn Thomas is currently a sergeant, and at the time I worked with him, we were both police officer first class,

and we were both signed to the DUI enforcement unit in San Creek. Glenn had the highest DUI arrest record in the state of Colorado for years. He was the best and won multiple awards and honors. I was making a lot of arrests. I ended up being number two in the state. He'd beat me by, I think, around 100 arrests. At first, he may think, wow, Colorado Springs must be the safest place to drive in the country.

But the real story is more complicated. Like Joel Kern, Glenn Thomas was up to no good, and the department knew for years, long before his alleged crimes became public. John first started to question Glenn's methods when another officer confided in him. What he told me was that he made a traffic stop, he thinks the guy's impaired, calls for a DUI officer, Glenn comes over, and without talking to the driver,

writes down that he refused any kind of testing, serves him as a refusal, and then leaves. This was a serious allegation, And we don't have any way of confirming this beyond John's word. But it all came to a head. John will get to that. When an officer suspects there is a drunk or impaired driver, he calls the DUI officer. That officer goes to the scene to make an assessment.

Why on earth would a DUI officer lie about engaging with the driver? Well, John has a theory. I think it was all about speed so he could get more in one shift. rather than having to worry about the technicalities of it. John wondered, was this how Glenn had so many more DUI arrests than any other officer in the state? Was he taking shortcuts? It didn't sit right with John. He and I immediately began budding heads.

But according to John, he wasn't the only one who took issue with Glenn's behavior. For example, there was an instance when John was called into court to testify about a DUI investigation. It was a routine part of the job. But on this occasion, I testified in court and the defense attorney caught me outside the hallway afterwards and he said, I just want to let you know you're a great witness. I can't find any way to impeach your credibility. And then he followed up with, you're way better than that Glenn Thomas guy. He's a liar and I'm going to get him one of these days. And two other cops were nearby, and they heard that statement. Word got back to Glenn. He took that as me attacking him, even though I didn't make any statements. Next thing you know,

I'm being called into internal affairs, and the accusation was that I was conducting an investigation against Glenn. I'm not investigating anything. I'm being interrogated by my own department for potential wrongdoing. John couldn't wrap his head around it. He was in the hot seat when according to John, it was Glenn who was up to no good. So in the midst of being questioned by internal affairs, John made the decision to share his concerns about Glenn.

I sat there for three hours and outlined all the different things that people had told me. And I said, I haven't followed up on any of this stuff. But since you guys now know about it, I think you have to. So they opened an investigation. and I have never been privy to the investigation. So, there were now two internal affairs investigations. One for John into whether he was going after Glenn Thomas, and one into Glenn himself.

John's allegations were supposedly investigated, and as far as John knows, they were deemed unfounded. At the end, we get sat down in a room with all the command staff. Basically, I was blamed for the whole thing. They said, you know, Glenn made paperwork errors because he does so many DUIs. And so we're going to chalk that up to administrative error. And I'm like, if you show up and you know you didn't talk to the guy and you wrote down that he was a refusal, that's a lie. That's not an administrative error.

CSPD denied our request for these IA investigations. So we don't know for sure what evidence was weighed in exonerating Glenn. What we do know is this. John was genuinely concerned about Glenn's behavior. And when he tried to bring those concerns to CSPD, he was shut down, hard. And John thinks he knows why. Glenn Thomas was allowed to get away with lying

because he's friends with everybody. People connect with him very readily. So he uses that to deceive people or manipulate people. And this is the theme. Glenn Thomas continued as the DUI God. John felt like Glenn was a walking liable. and a liar. John may have been one of the first people to call out Thomas's bad behavior.

But he wasn't the last. You can have opinions. You can have like a strong stance. And then there's your body having its own program. I'm Dr. Maya Shunker, a cognitive scientist and hosts of the podcast, a slight change of plans, a show about who we are and who we become when life makes other plans. We share stories and scientific insights to help us all better navigate these periods of turbulence and transformation. There is one finding that is consistent, and that is that our resilience rests on our relationships.

I wish that I hadn't resisted for so long the need to change. We have to be willing to live with a kind of uncertainty that none of us likes. Listen to a slight change of plans on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. On a recent episode of the podcast, Money and Wealth with John Hope Bryant, I sit down with Tiffany the budgetista Aliche to talk about what it really takes

to take control of your money. What would that look like in our families if everyone was able to pass on wealth to the people when they're no longer here? We break down budgeting, financial discipline, and how to build real wealth starting with the mindset shifts too many of us were never, ever taught.

Financial education is, not always about like, I'm going to get rich. That's great. It's about creating an atmosphere for you to be able to take care of yourself and leave a strong financial legacy for your family. If you've ever felt you didn't get the memo on money, this conversation is for you to hear more. Listen to Money and Wealth with John O'Brien from the Black Effect Network on the I'd Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Hi everyone, I'm Cheryl Stray, author of Wild and Tiny Beautiful Things. I'm excited to share that I have a new podcast called Mind Over Mountain.

In each episode, I interview athletes, adventurers, and adrenaline seekers to discuss the inner landscapes and life experiences that informed and inspired their extraordinary feats. I also bring a bit of advice into the mix so we too can better understand how to face our own seemingly insurmountable challenges. Do you know what I'm going to do? I'm going to pull out what you already have inside. We're coming into this world, fighting for our lives. All I'm going to do is pull out what you already got inside.

We're there to support and celebrate each other. And that's not like your story versus my story. You're going to walk up and over that dang mountain. You're not just going to put your mind over it. Yep, yep, exactly. And if I can't walk up and over it, I'm going to go through it. Listen to Mind Over Mountain every Thursday on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up? I'm Miles Turner.

And I'm Brianna Stewart. And our podcast, Game Recognized Game, has never been done before. Two active players giving you a real look at our lives and what we actually think, on and off the court. Nothing's off limits. We talk trade requests. What's the vibe of that when it's like your star player is like, well, I want to leave? And then actually now I'm going to stay. We talk tanking. I mean, honestly, like, I might get in trouble for this answer, but I think it's like definitely happening in the WBA.

And yeah, we talk about our mistakes, too. They pulled me to the side and was like, hey, man, we got a call last night, man. You can't be rolling around the city like this tonight before games, no, you know, doing this, doing whatever. And of course, family stories. And we're like, mommy, why did you miss that? Mommy, do you play basketball? Check out Game Recognized game with Stoian Miles on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Glenn Thomas, the Colorado Springs DUI God, is currently awaiting trial for intimidating a 10-year-old witness and for violating a protection order.

In the course of our reporting, we met someone who knows Glenn well, his ex-wife Sarah, herself a former CSPD officer. Sarah acknowledged that Glenn had a real talent for DUI enforcement. It's everything to him. Like, that's his identity, honestly. In my opinion, he was proud of the awards that he got. Like, he just knew how to do that job so well. But Sarah recognized that Glenn was able to get away with things other cops couldn't. He just played by different rules, and everyone just accepted that.

He would say things on the radio that were really, really inappropriate. And then he wouldn't get in trouble for any of it. Everyone would just laugh. He was the class clown. He could be crude, and it was all deemed acceptable. Sarah and Glenn Thomas had three daughters together, and for several years, they were a good team. The first 10 years of our marriage,

he still continued to be very charming. He's very funny. I mean, there was ups and downs, I think, until he got in a car wreck and hurt his back. And then I think it was like between the pain and then he got on payments. And I think between the two, like he kind of just very, very drastically changed. Those changes included behaving violently towards her and their children. There were times that he hit me.

There were times that he threw me across the room in front of the kids. Sarah said Glenn could be controlling and at times terrifying. After we were not sharing a bedroom anymore, he'd come home at 5 a.m. and come into my bedroom and he would say he was clearing the house. But like I'm sleeping in bed and I have a gun and a flashlight in my face. Sarah told us about one incident that was particularly alarming. We weren't allowed to lock doors and we were in an argument and I went into the the bathroom, and, like, it sounds so silly, but the door got locked. I didn't even lock it. And he kicked the door in and hit me with the door.

Their three daughters were also affected by his behavior, especially their eldest. I witnessed it. The other girls witnessed it, but he put a chip clip on her breast, and so she started crying. In divorce proceedings, Glenn claimed. he often put chip clips on his family members' clothes in good fun. It was a game to him. The incident with his daughter was an accident, and he apologized. At the time, Sarah tried to diffuse the conflict. I kind of just separated them and tried to calm the situation down.

Her daughter was 14 at the time. Glenn's behavior was bizarre. That was in addition to the physical violence Sarah experienced at his hands. So this all begs the question, why didn't Sarah go to the police? After all, she was a former officer at CSPD. I knew what his relationship was with the department. I just didn't feel like I would be taken seriously. Even if I went to them, I did not feel like there would be any consequences for him,

which then would most likely make things very, very, very much worse for me and my children. It's a risk a lot of survivors of domestic violence way out. Would reporting make things worse, more dangerous? And in Sarah's case, she'd be reporting her husband to his own buddies. So for years, she stayed silent and stayed in the marriage, hoping things would change. But then in the fall of 2021, something happened that pushed Sarah to act. My oldest came to me and basically said, I don't trust you anymore. you're not protecting us.

Like, I don't know why you're not leaving him. And she basically told me, you need to leave him, or he's going to end up killing you and us too. That was the moment everything changed. And then I talked to my other two. I was like, do you guys feel the same way? And they both were like, definitely,

you need to get out. So she did. Keep in mind, this was a problem. police officer they were escaping from. And I called the divorce attorney that day because I didn't really have that concept of what they were going through. They moved into a safe house provided by Tessa, a Colorado Springs organization that helps those experiencing domestic violence.

That was just a really hard thing to go through, leaving your kids' bedrooms. It was hard for all of them. of us to not have a space and not know what was coming next and that uncertainty of where we were even going to be laying our heads down. And once she and the kids were safe, they started to talk about Glenn's behavior. Things were worse than Sarah knew. Her eldest daughter brought up the incident with the chip clip. She said that he kind of was targeting her.

It wasn't an isolated incident. and he was doing it multiple times. It was then that Sarah decided to report Glenn to the CSPD. She spoke to the domestic violence sergeant, and her initial concerns about not being taken seriously by the department were validated. The conversation I had with the sergeant of the DV unit made me feel gross. He was telling me how we need to just figure out a way to get along, And that was the initial call for this.

And like, oh, yeah, I know there's been a lot of incidents back and forth between you. No, there hasn't. He has been victimizing us, period. But she did feel supported by the officers who were eventually assigned to investigate the case. I felt like they did do a really, really thorough, fantastic job investigating it. and they ended up going back, kind of investigating everything. So that's really when everything came out to CSPD, that this is kind of what I have been going through.

My kids had been going through. This detective sergeant and the detective felt like they had reached the level of probable cause for domestic violence charges. And so they were told by their lieutenant that they needed to refer it to the DA's office at the time, rather than just arrest as per statute. they are required to do. To the DA, Glenn wasn't just any cop.

They depended on him regularly. He frequently testified in cases for the DA's office. And that wasn't all. That day that they referred it to the DA's office, he was training the DA's office in DUIs. Like he's physically at their location. They get this case against him. And unsurprisingly,

they declined to prosecute. When asked for comment on this claim, the DA said there was insufficient evidence available to prosecute. Sarah points out that even if the DA wasn't intentionally protecting Glenn, there was a conflict of interest here. How could the DA be impartial in a decision to prosecute someone they work with so closely? The right thing to do would have been for them to refer it to a special prosecutor. but they did it.

I wondered what would have happened if Glenn hadn't been a CSPD police officer or hadn't been so close with the DA. 100% he would have been arrested. It wouldn't have been a hesitation. It would have been right away. After the DA declined to prosecute, Sarah continued to fight for something to be done. In her divorce proceedings, a judge reviewed Glenn's behavior.

She cited examples like the chip clip incident to be, quote, inappropriate and uncomfortable. And when it came to Glenn's treatment of Sarah, specifically the day when Glenn kicked down the bathroom door, the judge was clear. This was domestic violence. She gave Sarah full custody of their two oldest daughters. Glenn was only allowed to have limited contact with the youngest daughter. This judgment came down in fall 2022, nearly three years ago. At the time, it felt validating to Sarah. A judge saw what Glenn was capable of and took action to protect Sarah's kids.

But this was all in family court, not criminal. So Glenn was still allowed to wear the badge and carry a gun. Sarah felt like it was important to file a complaint with internal affairs. Then IA. gets the case to see if he violated any policies. This was no longer about whether he was. Glenn broke state or federal laws. There would be no criminal charges. Now it was a question of whether Glenn broke the department's rules.

And remember, Sarah had been a cop. She knew domestic violence went against policy. Perhaps internal affairs would bring her some sense of justice. If they think that there's any evidence that shows that he has either broken the law or violated policy, then they have a lot more ability to take action and make it so he's not in that position of power anymore in being a police officer. So I really did think that it was going to be okay because of the IA investigation. Eight months after she filed the case with IA., Sarah received a letter. It was from CSPD.

It read in part, after reviewing the case, it was determined that the acts you complained of were justified, legal, proper, and adhered to department policy. It was, he was exonerated. It didn't happen. This was the same department that found probable cause to send this case to the DA. They knew that Sarah, their former employee, had moved her children to a safe house. And now they had a family court judge's findings in hand that said Glenn Thomas had committed domestic violence. But somehow, Glenn's actions were justified, legal, proper, and adhered to department policy. And while we're talking policy, we took a look at the employee handbook.

Section 400, the one Glenn was exonerated on, says, Officers must live by the Law Enforcement Code of Ethics. They take an oath. It reads in part, As a law enforcement officer, my fundamental duty is to serve humankind, to safeguard lives and property, to protect the innocent against deception, the weak against oppression or intimidation, and the peaceful against violence or disorder. While performing my duties, I will maintain courageous calm in the face of danger, develop self-restraint, be truthful, and be constantly mindful of the welfare of others. Sarah was hurt by the department's failure to discipline Glenn. She had hoped her history at the CSPD would temper the favoritism he so often received.

The disappointing part to me was that D.C. Edmondson signed off on it and Chief Vasquez signed off on it. Like, D.C. Edmondson was one of my trainers in the academy, and Chief Vasquez was my sergeant for years. in DEA. So I felt like there might be less bias towards one or the other of us because I knew these people really well too. But it definitely affirms my belief that Glenn, Thomas, in particular, has a very, very special position at CSPD. So what line would Glenn have to cross in order to lose favor with the department?

You can have opinions. You can have. like a strong stance. And then there's your body having its own program. I'm Dr. Maya Shunker, a cognitive scientist and hosts of the podcast, a slight change of plans, a show about who we are and who we become when life makes other plans. We share stories and scientific insights to help us all better navigate these periods of turbulence and transformation. There is one finding that is consistent, and that is that our resilience rests

on our relationships. I wish that I hadn't resisted for so long the need to change. We have to be willing to live with a kind of uncertainty that none of us likes. Listen to a slight change of plans on the IHeart Radio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. On a recent episode of the podcast, Money and Wealth with John Ho'Brien, I sit down with Tiffany the budgetista Aliche to talk about what it really takes to take control of your money. what that look like in our families if everyone was able to pass on wealth to the people when they're no longer here.

We break down budgeting, financial discipline, and how to build real wealth, starting with the mindset shifts. Too many of us were never, ever taught. Financial education is not always about like, I'm going to get rich. That's great. It's about creating an atmosphere for you to be able to take care of yourself and leave a strong financial legacy for your family. If you've ever felt you didn't get the memo on money, this conversation is for you to hear more. Listen to Money and Wealth with John O'Brien from the Black Effect Network on the I'd Heart

Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Hi, everyone. I'm Cheryl Stray, author of Wild and Tiny Beautiful Things. I'm excited to share that I have a new podcast called Mind Over Mountain. In each episode, I interview athletes. adventures and adrenaline seekers to discuss the inner landscapes and life experiences

that informed and inspired their extraordinary feats. I also bring a bit of advice into the mix so we too can better understand how to face our own seemingly insurmountable challenges. Do you know what I'm going to do? I'm going to pull out what you already have inside.

We're coming into this world, fighting for our lives. All I'm going to do is pull out what you already got inside. We're there to support and celebrate each other. And that's not like a, your story versus my story. You're going to walk up and over that dang mountain.

You're not just going to put your mind over it. Yep, yep, exactly. And if I can't walk up and over it, I'm going to go through it. Listen to Mind Over Mountain every Thursday on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up? I'm Miles Turner. And I'm Brianna Stewart.

And our podcast, Game Recognized Game, has never been done before. Two active players giving you a real look at our lives and what we actually think, on and off the board. But nothing's off-livens. We talk trade requests. What's the vibe of that when it's like your star player is like, well, I want to leave. And then actually now I'm going to stick. We talk tanking.

I mean, honestly, like, I might get in trouble for this answer, but I think it's like definitely happening in the WBA. And yeah, we talk about our mistakes, too. They pulled me to the side and was like, hey, man, we got a call last night, man, you can't be rolling around the city like this tonight before games, you know, doing this, doing whatever. And of course, family stories. They'll be like, mommy, why did you miss that?

Mommy, do you play basketball? Check out Game Recognized game with Stuy and Miles on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. At the heart of this season is one question. How was Joel Kern able to do what he did? To betray his family, his colleagues, and his community for so long. During our reporting, we've learned that Joel wasn't the only officer who knew he could get away with misconduct. This was a culture problem, not an isolated case. We've heard from former staff that there are certain employees who are untouchable,

protected by the badge and by the brass. These are people who don't fear consequences, because if you're one of the golden few, there are no consequences. Following Glenn Thomas's exoneration in his IA case, Sarah tried to move forward. She focused on her job and her kids. But Glenn was still a part of her family's life. By court order, he had limited custody of their 10-year-old daughter.

Two years into this arrangement, in October 2024, their daughter confided in her therapist. She said her dad had touched her inappropriately. Her therapist, reported to DHS, DHS reported to Woodland Park PD. Woodland Park PD opened an investigation on it. Glenn lived in Woodland Park. It's a small town about 30 minutes outside of Colorado Springs.

But the Woodland Park Police Department was a different ball field. Glenn didn't work for them. They asked him to come in for an interview to explain his actions. He denied the allegations. And then he did something unthinkable. He just went to my daughter's school and confronted her and told her that she's a liar. He may have been fueled by anger or distress. But before the confrontation, Glenn had the presence of mind to call CSPD colleagues for advice.

He called two different people within the department who specifically told him, do not go to her school on his way down there. So, yeah, he was looking for support and affirmation on what he was doing, and he didn't get it, and he still went. Later, at an emergency custody hearing, he changed the story, claiming a commander told Glenn he should go down to his daughter's school. These emergency proceedings were happening in parallel to Glenn's criminal case. And at this emergency hearing,

on the stand he said that this commander had told him he should go to the school and talk to because he was supposed to have visitation the next day and so he was like she told me I should go and get a witness and like smooth things over with her so that then we could have a good visitation like the next day in fact what happened is the person that he mentioned had told him do not go, wait for things to shake out, like don't push it, just don't go. But for sure, don't go to the school. He lied on the stand, and he put blame on the CSPD. It was at this hearing that Glenn's visitation rights were taken away.

But perhaps this was also a turning point in Glenn's relationship with CSPD. Glenn Thomas was starting to seem less like an asset and more like a liability to the department. especially once the news got a hold of the story. We have an 11 breaking news alert just into our newsroom. We just learned that a Colorado Springs police officer is now under arrest. He was accused of inappropriate sexual contact with a minor in Woodland Park. Thomas later confronted the alleged victim at school about those accusations, telling the minor to change the story.

Sergeant Thomas is accused of violating a protection order and intimidating the victim involved. Thomas is assigned to the victim involved. Thomas is assigned to the DUI unit and was taken into custody earlier today. Because of the lies Thomas told in the emergency hearing, the DA put him on the Brady list. It's a list of police officers who have lied, falsified evidence, or committed other misconduct, anything that would undermine their credibility as a witness. The DA has to notify opposing counsel any time they use an officer from the Brady list as a witness. In other words, Thomas is now a person.

marked as a liar in the courts. As for the criminal charges, Glenn has to go to trial and could even receive prison time. The Woodland Park PD dropped the sexual assault charge. They couldn't find the evidence they needed to make the charge stick. But the intimidation of a minor witness and the violation of a protection order, those charges were in Colorado Springs jurisdiction, due to the location of the daughter's school. And this time, finally, CSPD took the allegation seriously. Glenn Thomas's trial is set for the end of July, but until then, he still remains employed at CSPD,

and he can continue to testify in cases for the DA. We asked the DA directly about whether they'll be putting Glenn on the stand knowing what they know now. They responded, quote, we can't speculate on this topic. We can only confirm Mr. Thomas is on the Brady list, and that his appearance at this time on the Brady list would not preclude him from participating as a witness in court. So why are we telling you about Glenn Thomas?

Because there are clear similarities with Joel Kern's case. Both had long-standing ties to the CSPD, both operated by their own rules. And in each case, someone put themselves on the line to raise a red flag, warning the department that these men couldn't be trusted. but they still wore the badge. We asked Major Franklin, who we heard from at the top of the episode,

about these dynamics. We're supposed to be a profession that is trusted. So we should begin within our own ranks, developing a very high level of integrity. But we've developed this. Stop snitching. Don't snitch on your peers. And it's a culture, that I don't think has changed over many, many, many, many decades.

As a former cop himself, Major Franklin can see how this culture has sustained itself for so long. One of the main reasons is the camaraderie. We have done a very good job in policing of isolating ourselves from community at large. You know, we go to police barbecues and primarily the folks who are at the police barbecues. barbecues are police officers and immediate family members. Weddings is the same way. If you really examine many of the wedding parties for police officers, they are police officers in the wedding parties. So we've done a very good job of isolating ourselves. This closely knit group of cops, the culture in the street is that they back each other up, no matter what, for the most part.

In our last episode, we also introduced you to Claudia Aldrich. She runs the police officer's whistleblower network. Her social media posts call out the CSPD for what she sees as massive hypocrisy. She says there's no benefit to reporting a fellow officer for misconduct. Who's going to want to do that? Because doing that puts their career on a big red spot. Major Franklin says he has seen employees step up. to try and stop rumors and corruption.

They will report, but you know what? Many of them have paid the price for it. Former CSPD officer John was one of them. His efforts to raise red flags and create meaningful change at CSPD were met with frustration and even outright anger by those in leadership. And eventually, he got tired of fighting. I finally had come to the realization that I wasn't going to make a difference at CSPD. I couldn't make any changes.

was never going to get into a position where I could affect change. The culture at CSPD prevails. It's a culture that's driven out stand-up public servants like John. And it seems like he isn't alone. A local news station was able to get a hold of an employee morale survey. It was given by the Colorado Springs Police Protective Association back in 2023. It painted a bleak picture. A new question in the 2023 survey version asked if these sworn staff members

were considering leaving CSPD within the next five years. 63% saying yes. John recalls Joel Kern's feelings on morale when they work together. So at first, Joel Kern was somebody that I could look up to and trust, and he was very skilled in that arena of investigation. And then as time went on, things really, really started to change. Kern would say things like morale is a personal problem. And from a guy with a management master's degree, I will tell you that one person with a morale problem is a personal problem.

But when it's systemic across an organization, that's a leadership problem. And that was the mantra that the brass kept saying. If the morale here is poor, that's your fault. John's experience is proof that not everyone at CSPD agrees with its culture. There are officers currently on the force who are disillusioned with, how the department disciplines its employees. I wondered if the dedicated CSPD investigators who tried to help Sarah when she first reported Glenn

were among those that wanted out of the job. Here's Sarah again. When I brought the case to them, I gave them that disclosure that nothing is going to happen to him. Like, I told them. And they both were like, he shouldn't be an exception. He shouldn't be protected. This should be just a normal case. And honestly, I think that when they found out he wasn't going to be prosecuted, it seemed like they were pretty upset about it.

It felt like they were kind of betrayed along with me. In the end, the department let Sarah down. I have so much knowledge and so much experience and so much information and so much information. about how the criminal justice system works and how CSPD works and who is who. And navigating all of these situations would be impossible without that. So again, I'm heartbroken for the people that are victims and don't have my special set of skills and knowledge and information. If it hadn't been for some of that information, again, he would be getting away with all of it.

Here's former CSPD employee, Barb again. If you have no integrity in your personal life, why would you have integrity in your public life? If you will lie about little stuff, you'll lie about big stuff. If you lie about big stuff, you'll lie about bigger stuff. It makes us wonder how many times. Joel Kearns and Glenn Thomas's, there are right now, getting away with potentially criminal behavior because their friends on the force are protecting them. How many officers have had serious reports of misconduct swept under the rug? How many have had internal affairs investigations

closed without consequence? We'll give the final word to Major Franklin. We work for you as citizens and we are to provide a service. We take another, to protect people's constitutional rights. And we are one of a very few number of people occupations in this country who have the ability and the right to take your liberty away from you. At any given second, I want someone who is going to set the example for their behavior because they're going to be interacting with me. My kids, my grandkids, my nieces, my nephews, my relatives, my friends.

I'm not asking you to be saints. I'm asking you to have integrity. I'm asking you to value your position. I'm asking you to raise the level of professionalism within your craft. I'm asking you to be the best. That's all. On the next episode of Betrayal, we go back to Caroline's story, and we hear about her healing journey.

No one blames the wife or the spouse. or a partner for someone's heroin addiction or for someone's gambling addiction. It's just in this realm of infidelities where there seems to be this really strong focus on the betrayed partner. Thank you for listening to Betrayal Season 4. If you would like to reach out to the Betrayal team,

email us at Betrayalpod at gmail.com. That's Betrayal P-O-D at gmail.com. Also, please be sure to follow us on Instagram at Betrayal Pod and me, Andrea H. Gunning, for all Betrayal content news and updates. One way to support the series is by subscribing to our show on Apple Podcasts. Please rate and review Betrayal. Five-star reviews help us know you appreciate what we do. Betrayal is a production of Glass Podcasts, a division of Glass Entertainment Group

in partnership with I-Hard Podcasts. The show is executive produced by Nancy Glass and Jennifer Fasen. Betrayal is hosted and produced by me. Andrea Gunning. Written and produced by Carrie Hartman. Also produced by Ben Federman. Our associate producers are Caitlin Golden and Kristen Mulcuri. Our I-Heart team is Ali Perry and Jessica Kreinschek.

Story editing by Monique Laborde. Audio editing and mixing by Matt Dalvecchio. Editing by Tanner Robbins. And special thanks to Caroline and her family. Betrayal's theme is composed by Oliver Baines, music library provided by Mide Music. And for more podcasts from IHeart, visit the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, I'm Dr. Maya Shunker, a cognitive scientist and hosts of the podcast, a slight change of plans, a show about who we are and who we become when life makes other plans.

I wish that I hadn't resisted for so long the need to change. We have to be willing to live with a kind of uncertainty that none of us likes. You can have opinions. You can have like a strong stance. And then there's your body having its own program. Listen to a slight change of plans on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hi, listeners. I'm Jamal Jordan, the host of Roershack, Murder at City Hall podcast.

In July 2003, Councilman James E. Davis, an ambitious rising star in Brooklyn, Brooklyn, politics was murdered inside New York City Hall, shot to death in front of more than 200 people. The killer? His political opponent, a man named Neil Askew. The full story of this shocking public murder and the relationship between these two men has not yet been told. Until now. I want to let you know that you can get access to all episodes of Rochak murder at City Hall, 100% ad-free, with an eye-heartedly. True Crime Plus subscription, available exclusively on Apple Podcasts. Plus, you'll get access to all episodes of Rochak Murder at City Hall one week ahead of everyone else,

available only to IHeart True Crime Plus subscribers. So don't wait. Head to Apple Podcasts, search for IHeart True Crime Plus, and subscribe today. Hi, listeners, I'm Anna Sinfield, host of The Girlfriends, Trust Me, Babe. I'm excited to share the Girlfriends, Trust Me Babe, story with you. And I want to let you know that you can get access to all episodes of season one, two, three and four of The Girlfriends. And every single episode of The Girlfriends Trust Me, Babe, 100% ad-free with an I-Heart True Crime Plus subscription. Available exclusively on Apple Podcasts.

Plus, you'll get access to all episodes of The Girlfriends Trust Me, Babe, one week ahead of everyone else. Available only to IHeart True Crime Plus subscribers. So don't wait. head to Apple Podcasts, search for iHeart True Crime Plus, and subscribe today. It's Financial Literacy Month, and the podcast, Eating While Broke, is bringing real conversations about money, growth, and building your future. This month, hear from top streamer, Zoe Spencer, and venture capitalist Lakeisha Landrum-Pierre,

as they share their journeys from starting out to leveling up. There's an economic component to communities thriving. If there's not enough money and entrepreneurship happening in communities, they fail. Listen to Eating While Broke from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. This is an IHeart podcast, guaranteed human.