A Hardin tow-truck company owner has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the City of Hardin and its former police chief, alleging she was kicked off the city's tow-truck rotation list in retaliation for publicly complaining about her removal. Laurie Tschetter, who owns GV Towing in Hardin, filed the lawsuit against former Hardin Police Chief Paul M. George, Jr., who has since left Montana to become police chief in Bullhead City, Arizona.

According to court documents, the dispute began in 2024 when George confronted Tschetter in a Hardin store parking lot, berating her over an alleged failure to provide an estimated time of arrival for a towing job. Tschetter says she told George the delay was caused by a Verizon phone outage beyond her control. About two months later, she says George again confronted her, this time over a missing persons report she had filed with Big Horn County. The lawsuit says that shortly after, her company was removed from the city's rotation list.

Tschetter's attorney, Matthew Monforton, argues in the suit that state law requires a tow-truck rotation system specifically to prevent arbitrary exclusion of qualified operators, and that Tschetter held all required state qualifications at the time of her removal. The lawsuit further alleges that city officials refused to follow state law and that George's actions constituted retaliation against Tschetter for her public criticism — a free speech claim under the First Amendment.

George, now based in Arizona, is named as a defendant alongside the City of Hardin. The suit is pending in federal court. The case has not yet gone to trial and the allegations have not been proven.