Harley Chambers, 27, was arrested Thursday in connection with allegations involving a 17-year-old employee at the Dairy Queen on Camp Jordan Parkway in East Ridge. He faces two counts of sexual contact by an authority figure and a charge of grooming a minor.
The arrest report, as described by Local 3 News, says East Ridge police first responded to reports of sexual offenses involving Chambers and the 17-year-old female juvenile on July 30. Chambers was the Camp Jordan Parkway store’s manager, and the teen worked under him, the outlet reported.
The affidavit says the relationship began professionally in June and became romantic the following month. It says the juvenile told Chambers she had developed “romantic feelings” for him, and that he said he felt the same.
Texts, Gifts and Rides That Violated Store Policy
The affidavit says the two began exchanging more frequent texts and that Chambers complimented the teen’s appearance. According to the juvenile and her mother, he also took her on dates, bought her gifts, drove her to work and showed public displays of affection at the store.
The rides also violated company policy, according to investigators: Dairy Queen rules barred Chambers from driving the teen to work because he was her manager. The affidavit indicates he was eventually terminated after repeatedly breaking that rule.
Charges Filed After Months-Long Investigation
Nearly three months after police first responded to the initial report, Chambers was taken into custody Thursday. He is charged with grooming of a minor and with sexual contact by an authority figure on two counts, according to the arrest report detailed by the same outlet.
Workplace oversight and industry context
The Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development lists the EEOC as regulating workplace harassment and discrimination. That workplace oversight is distinct from the criminal charges in this case and is not a finding about the allegations.
A 2017 Vox report on a Center for American Progress analysis of EEOC data found that accommodation and food services accounted for 14.2 percent of sexual-harassment claims filed from 2005 to 2015. That industry-wide figure does not establish anything about this restaurant or the allegations in this case.
The allegations against Chambers remain just that — allegations — and the case has not yet been tested in court. No additional details on the specific basis for the sexual-contact counts have been made public.
