(WTRF) – Abuse, harassment, sexual misconduct are among the latest allegations against the West Virginia State Police.

Wheeling-based attorney Teresa Toriseva says she has now sent another 30-day Notice of Forthcoming Legal Action to the state police on behalf of a group of women. Toriseva said there have been new developments in her investigation that go beyond hidden cameras. 

“It is an environment at the state police academy that’s downright hostile to women,” Toriseva said.

A group of women have already come forward wanting to know if they were filmed while using the locker room at the West Virginia State Police Academy. Toriseva filed an intent of notice to sue on their behalf in late March. In early April, she filed a second notice after it became known that minors may have been filmed on the hidden camera in the locker room.

Last week, Winfield Attorney David Moye told WOWK 13 News he sent a notice of intent to bring a lawsuit to West Virginia Attorney Patrick Morrisey and WVSP Superintendent Colonel Jack Chambers on behalf of five additional female plaintiffs.

Now Toriseva said many of those women have additional allegations that are much worse. She says this new notice of legal action from her office represents 42 women including 10 minors who attended the Junior Trooper Academy and alleges a civil conspiracy. 

We’re finding and getting reports of sexual misconduct, including reports of improper sexual relationships with instructors. We’re getting reports of physical assaults,” Toriseva said. “Evidence of a cover-up, of fraud, not letting this become public, so to speak to oversimplify it and that is a problem too.”

Toriseva says she feels the hidden cameras were part of a bigger problem. As her team’s investigation into those claims progressed many women came forward and recounted other incidents of abuse.

“So many of the things that we’re uncovering are stories that are being heard for the first time because there was a fear of reporting and there was also a fear of losing your entire career if you reported.”

Teresa Toriseva, Trial Lawyer

West Virginia State Police are under multiple investigations after a five-page anonymous letter was sent to Governor Jim Justice (R-WV), Attorney General Patrick Morrisey and a host of state lawmakers. The letter outlined alleged misconduct at the organization including sexual assaults, thefts, and damage to state-owned property in addition to a hidden camera in the women’s locker room.

“We certainly understand that the investigations are an item of interest of many people, as they are to us. The investigations are still on-going, that being the case you know I can’t comment on those. There’s some possible civil litigation that’s ongoing and so I can’t comment on that either. As soon as we can get to the conclusion of these investigations we’re looking forward to being able to talk about them.”

Major Jim Mitchell, Media Spokesperson, West Virginia State Police

As for this group of women, they want their own investigation. 

“This is not something that the State Police can deal with internally. There needs to be an outside, independent, federal investigation by new players, new actors and we really need to know what the facts and the truth were,” Toriseva said 

Toriseva calls the current environment at the West Virginia State Police Academy hostile and said it needs to change into a place where women are safe.