A Minnesota county approved a nearly $1.5 million settlement after eight minority correctional officers filed a racial discrimination lawsuit saying they were barred from guarding Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer found guilty in George Floyd’s death.
The officers — who identify as Black, Hispanic, Pacific Islander-American and multiracial — alleged that a superintendent at the Ramsey County Adult Detention Center, or ADC, in St. Paul reassigned officers of color to another floor when Chauvin was arrested in May 2020.
They said in the suit, filed last year, that the superintendent’s actions “segregated” them and prevented them from doing their jobs “because of the color of their skin.”
The lawsuit was settled Tuesday when the Ramsey County Board of Commissioners approved $1.455 million, according to a press release.
“The courage of these eight officers cannot be overstated,” Lucas Kaster, one of the attorneys for the correctional officers, said in a statement. “During an unprecedented time in our community, the officers took the bold action to step forward and speak out against the segregation and racism they experienced.”
The suit alleged that then-jail Supt. Steve Lydon barred minority officers from guarding Chauvin and said they could not interact with him or even be on the floor where Chauvin was being held.
June 23, 202001:00
Chauvin was taken to jail on murder and manslaughter charges for kneeling on Floyd’s neck for more than eight minutes as Floyd repeatedly said, “I can’t breathe.” Chauvin was convicted by a state jury of second- and third-degree murder, as well as second-degree manslaughter in April 2021. He was sentenced to 22 and a half years.
The former officer also faced federal charges for violating Floyd’s civil rights, to which he pleaded guilty. Chauvin was sentenced to just more than 20 years in that case with the two sentences running concurrently.
One of the plaintiffs in the discrimination case, Devin Sullivan, said in the lawsuit that he regularly processed and booked high-profile inmates. While he was in the middle of patting down Chauvin, Lydon told him to stop and replaced him with a white officer, the suit stated.
The lawsuit further alleged that Chauvin received special treatment from a white lieutenant. The suit said that two officers saw on security cameras that a white lieutenant was allowed access to Chauvin’s cell unit, sat on his bed, patted his back “while appearing to comfort him” and let Chauvin use a cell phone.
At the time, several of the minority officers asked to speak with Lydon about what was happening. Lydon “denied he was racist and defended his decision,” the lawsuit stated.
The officers said in a joint statement Tuesday that their former supervisor’s actions broke their trust. They said the settlement will help them as they “open a next chapter.”
“Our goal in bringing attention to the segregation order was to ensure Ramsey County was held accountable for its discriminatory actions and practices. We hope the County and Detention Center will continue working toward overall culture changes that create a safe and welcoming work environment for all,” the statement read.
Lydon could not be reached at phone numbers listed for him. He previously said that he removed the officers “to protect and support” them by shielding them from Chauvin, according to the Star Tribune. Lydon was later removed as superintendent, the newspaper reported.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
