BOSTON -- Two days after Middlesex Sheriff's Corrections Officer James Mitchell's son was shot in the leg, the black man was ordered to go into work.
He had asked for more time off, but one of his superiors told Mitchell he didn't care about his family emergency. Mitchell was to report to work for the night shift.
"(Another officer) asked for personal time off earlier in the summer to go see his son play baseball and (his superior) granted him the time off without any problems. Therefore, I was surprised that I was given such a hard time about a family tragedy," Mitchell wrote in a complaint he filed with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination last year.
Mitchell, a Lowell resident, is just one of four people to file racial complaints or lawsuits, against the Middlesex Sheriff's Department in the past year.
The complaints have prompted Sheriff James DiPaola to take action on several fronts. "I am proud of the steps we have taken over the years to provide mandatory annual diversity training, expand our recruitment process, and develop a diverse and professional staff. I am committed to having a harassment-free work environment," he said.
Middlesex Sheriff Corrections Officer Eril LiGonde, of Lowell, and Capt. Ernest Hicks, of Salem, N.H., also filed complaints with MCAD claiming they were discriminated against because of their race. Both men are black.
Both Hicks and LiGonde claim a white sergeant referred to Hicks with a racial slur while Hicks took roll call in May of 2007.
Both officers complained about the slur, and the complaint led to a tussle between LiGonde and the sergeant later that day.
"I believe (the sergeant) attacked me in retaliation for my complaining about discrimination, and I believe (the Middlesex Sheriff's Department) has disciplined me unfairly in response due to my race and color," LiGonde wrote in his complaint.
All three complaints have not been resolved with the MCAD, which investigates claims before determining whether the complaint had probable cause.
The fourth complaint comes from Corrections Officer John Shankhour of Billerica, who filed a civil lawsuit last year claiming he faced harassment from co-workers. The Syrian native was called a terrorist, a camel jockey and a sand flea in front of staffers and inmates daily, Shankhour alleged. Shankhour initially filed a complaint with MCAD, but withdrew his complaint when he decided to file a civil lawsuit in federal court. The lawsuit is pending.
DiPaola declined to comment on any of the cases, citing pending legal matters. But he did say in a prepared statement: "I have always had zero tolerance for any type of discrimination."
DiPaola said, "as soon as these allegations were brought to my attention, I took immediate and decisive action. I immediately went to roll call to speak with employees about my zero-tolerance stance."
As a result, the highest-ranking minority officer was made ombudsman to handle diversity issues. He is on-call 24 hours a day with full access to all facilities and departments, DiPaola said in a statement.
Also, an outside investigator was hired to look into the allegations, DiPaola said. The investigation is continuing. Furthermore, an outside consultant was hired from ChangeWorks Consulting to help top Sheriffs' Department officials select a new diversity and civil-rights officer.
Posted by: pahapoika
file for FLMA. sheesh , some of these guys are one trick ponies
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