HENDERSON (KTNV) — Henderson City Councilwoman Carrie Cox has filed a lawsuit against fellow council member James Seebock, saying he hit her multiple times.
According to the complaint, which was filed on Wednesday, attorneys for Cox allege that she "had a difficult working relationship with the Mayor and the other Councilmembers based on [her] outsider status and her election victory over the Mayor's friend and preferred candidate."
Her attorneys also claim that Cox's previous stance of removing then-Henderson Police Chief Thedrick Andes made other councilmembers "more antagonistic" towards her, including Seebock, who previously served as a Las Vegas police officer and Deputy Chief.
Attorneys state that the City Council was scheduled to convene on March 5, 2024 to select the next mayor pro tem to sit in for the mayor in case she couldn't attend the meeting or needed to recuse herself from an agenda item.
The complaint alleges that Seebock cornered Cox behind the council dais ahead of the meeting because he "was aware that [Cox] did not intend to support his selection as mayor pro tem" and that Cox "felt fearful and intimidated by [Seebock], who appeared to be attempting to force Plaintiff to vote in his favor."
When she said she would still not support Seebock, he "then became irate and struck Plaintiff forcefully on her upper arm three times, causing Plaintiff severe pain. The force of the impact caused Plaintiff to lose her balance. Defendant attempted to stabilize Plaintiff by grabbing her arm, but Plaintiff pulled away and stepped back to distance herself from Defendant."
Her attorneys state Cox is a survivor of domestic violence and the incident was "deeply traumatizing".
According to the complaint, Cox reported the incident to Henderson City Manager Richard Derrick as well as her therapist the day after the incident. Derrick "advised [Cox] against pursuing formal criminal or civil charges" against Seebock and her therapist said Cox "likely would be publicly disparaged" if she filed a formal complaint.
On the same day, Seebok informed Javier Mendez, the City of Henderson Human Resources Director, that he "does not recall touching [Cox]", but that "if he did touch [Cox] it was on her shoulder or arm area."
We reached out to Cox's attorney, Ravi Chanderraj from Paul Padda Law, who sent Channel 13 the following statement.
"It is important that the public begin to hear and see the true story regarding Councilwoman Cox. The lawsuit we filed today exposes one of the reasons she has been targeted.
Councilwoman Cox is committed to handling this matter in the right way and through the proper legal process, but she will not be discouraged or deterred from serving her constituents. Intimidation and violence have no place in our community or our civic spaces. Thank you to everyone who has shown her support."
We also reached out to the City of Henderson. A city representative told Channel 13, "this lawsuit is a private civil dispute between individual elected officials. The city is not involved in the matter and is not a defendant, and therefore has no comment."
We also reached out to Seebock, who provided the following statement.
"This lawsuit, filed two days after Carrie Cox filed for re-election, is a political stunt designed to distract from the fact she is facing a felony charge and numerous ethics violations just as she must face the voters.
I served this community with integrity for 30 years as a law enforcement officer, retiring as Assistant Sheriff and I’m a husband and father of a daughter. This is a false attack on my character by someone who was caught lying to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Public Integrity Unit during the investigation that led to her current felony charge.
The attached memo chronicles the city’s thorough efforts to verify and validate any of Mrs. Cox’s concerns or complaints during her time in office. I remain focused on my work serving the residents of Henderson, who deserve leaders focused on solutions instead of chaos.”
You can read the memo that Seebock mentioned below.
As for Cox, this is not the only legal situation that she has been involved with in recent months. You may remember that back in November, she was indicted by a Clark County grand jury for allegedly recording a private conversation of fellow Councilwoman Monica Larson while hiding behind a curtain during a retirement party at City Hall in January 2025.
Due to those alleged actions, the Henderson City Council unanimously voted to censure Cox in November, making her the first member in the city's history to receive the formal disapproval.
WATCH | What does this censure do?
The grand jury indictment came after a 10-month police investigation that uncovered multiple allegations of misconduct, including unauthorized access to confidential information, operating an unlicensed daycare from her home, and intervening in a police internal affairs investigation.
We caught up with Larson after a November court appearance and said "this will play out in the court system, and I'm confident justice will prevail."
WATCH | Monica Larson's full statement
Cox has pleaded not guilty to those charges.
The case is expected to go to trial on Oct. 19, 2026.
