Jail Segregated Officers Of Color Over Derek Chauvin: Charges
SAINT PAUL, MN — Eight correctional officers of color are suing Ramsey County after they say they were segregated and reassigned away from the floor holding former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin at the Ramsey County Adult Detention Center.
Chauvin faces murder and manslaughter charges in the death of George Floyd. During Floyd's arrest on Memorial Day in Minneapolis — Chauvin, 44, — kept his knee on Floyd's neck. Floyd said "I can't breathe" and pleaded for water.
Video of the incident went viral, sparking protests and demands for major police reform and racial justice in Minneapolis and across the globe.
Twin Cities-based Shannon Law, LLC — which specializes in employment law — is representing the eight correctional officers in the discrimination charges filed with the state's Department of Human rights.
"The Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office segregated hardworking employees of color away from a high-profile inmate solely due to their skin color," Attorney Bonnie Smith said in a news release.
"Sorting employees by their race and skin color was deeply degrading and humiliating, not to mention illegal. These correctional officers come to work every day to keep our community safe and employment decisions should be made based on their performance, not the color of their skin."
The eight employees wish to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation, according to Smith. The Ramsey County Sheriff's Office did not immediately respond to Patch's request for comment.
The firm claims that on May 29, experienced and highly-trained correctional officers — who are all people of color and some of whom have served at the facility for more than a decade — were segregated and replaced by their white colleagues.
The order was against normal protocol, the firm claims, noting that the correctional officers had guarded high-profile inmates before.
Superintendent Steve Lydon told at least one correctional officer that he segregated officers of color from Chauvin’s floor because they would be a "liability," according to the firm.
In charges filed, one officer stated: "As correctional officers, we work and live in an environment where we are vigilant and constantly protecting each other. The segregation that was brought to the facility that day has created a divide amongst the officers that work in the jail."
The officer also said Lydon’s actions created a "lack of trust and respect for minority officers."
The firm claims that Lydon remains employed by Ramsey County, despite promises made by County Sheriff Bob Fletcher that Lydon would be reassigned from the jail.
No formal apology or mental health resources have been extended to affected employees, according to the firm.
"Former officer Chauvin should not have received special treatment while he was held in the Ramsey County jail," Attorney Bonnie Smith said.
"He especially should have received special treatment by white supervisors and correctional officers at the expense of officers of color. My clients were devastated by the Superintendent’s segregation order and continue to experience the negative effects of this racist decision. Ramsey County has failed to publicly apologize or remedy the harm done by Superintendent Lydon and other leaders complicit in his order. Over the coming days and weeks, we will be fighting to ensure that each and every one of these hardworking people receives the justice and accountability they deserve under the law."
Read the discrimination charges below:
This article originally appeared on the Saint Paul Patch
