F. Conclusion By signing up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, MIGHTY NETWORKS, 2023 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, Colonel Paris Davis received the Medal of Honor nearly 60 years after he earned it in Vietnam, The Military Has A Toxic Leadership Problem, Odierno: Army Not a 'Good Ol' Boy Network' | Military.com, Competition VS Good Old Boy Club | RallyPoint. When LMPD Chief Erica Shields started in January 2021, Chief Chavous was reassigned and replaced by Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel. News stories reported that the Roundup was a "whites-only" gathering of Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) and other federal law enforcement officers that resembled a "Klan rally" and at which these agents discriminated against blacks by posting racist signs, wearing racist T-shirts, performing racist skits, and playing racist music. We are not aware of any effort that was made to establish who posted the signs. We have referred to the Director of the FBI a report with respect to this one current FBI employee for whom we recommend that punishment be considered for his behavior at the Roundup. Taunting the ATF agent about the presence of the two blacks, one of the Fort Lauderdale officers stated, "ATF fucks up everything they touch. In the 1970s the percentage of women in law en-forcement was only at 2% (Price, 1996). Some minority agents also expressed a reluctance to attend because the Roundup was held in the woods of an all-white county in Eastern Tennessee. I, personally, served under them and would gladly fall on a sword if they asked even all these years later. Finally in October he relinquished the videotape for analysis by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and agreed to an on-the-record interview. 2. In 1992 the same persons who ordered the sign taken down pulled the responsible person away from the car and told him to stop what he was doing. In conducting this investigation, the OIG's principal purposes were (1) to determine whether DOJ employees had committed acts that might warrant sanction by their components and (2) to determine whether existing standards of conduct provide adequate guidance as they relate to off-duty conduct or whether any changes in administrative policy or We will attempt to promote the best in leadership for police organizations and hopefully eradicate some poor leadership qualities along the way. In a number of years, but certainly in 1990 and 1992, Confederate flags were displayed at various locations in and around the Roundup campground. "It's always been a buddy buddy system to my knowledge and there's going to be a few that say it's not and that's because they are a part of the buddy buddy system," Leflore said. Although we conclude that much of the early Roundup news coverage was overblown and distorted, our investigation revealed ample evidence of shocking racist, licentious, and puerile behavior by attendees occurring in various years. Although the Roundup was plainly not the type of event that brings credit to its participants, we developed no evidence that any significant role was played in the Roundup by any DOJ personnel past or present. He says wonderful comforting things to the public, words that make the street deputies get goose bumps and feel all warm and fuzzy inside. In addition, we found that because the central activity during most Roundups was the consumption of large quantities of Roundup-supplied alcohol, the organizers knowingly sacrificed the ability to control the conduct of participants. Randall was served with an OIG administrative subpoena for photographs of the Roundup and the original videotape, which Hayward had turned over to him. WHAS11 asked Mayor Greg Fischer about the allegations on Tuesday. In 1990 and 1992, "persons whom [OIG] could not identify were checking to determine if any blacks were in any of the cars driving through the campground. Nonetheless, OIG expended considerable time, energy, and resources to determine as best we could what happened at the Roundup. OIG made special efforts to interview persons from many federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, and to interview a large number of participants who had no law enforcement affiliation. 4thEdition. In part this lack of understanding is the result of very general provisions that govern off-duty conduct. In response to this activity and an article Hayward published about the Roundup the following month in the NAAWP Newsletter, in which he claimed that numerous David Duke supporters attended the Roundup, the event's organizers instituted new policies for 1993 prohibiting political and racist activity. We found no evidence, and indeed received no allegations, that any current or former DOJ employee directly engaged in racist or other misconduct -- other than one inappropriate comment by an FBI agent. Taunting the ATF agent about the presence of the two blacks, one of the Fort Lauderdale officers stated, "ATF fucks up everything they touch. Racist skits were performed in 1990 and 1992. Instead, they share the group's racial beliefs system. Some spent little time at the campground where the misconduct took place; others hardly stayed at the Roundup for any period of time. You would have everyone on equal footing, we would be treated fairly. We are disturbed that an event characterized by rampant public drunkenness, widespread public lewdness, and in later years episodes of racist conduct drew participants from DOJ and other law enforcement organizations. Findings Regarding Specific Racist Misconduct. Brian Ellis is a 20-year veteran of the Sacramento Police Department. In 1990 officers from Florence and Boone County, Kentucky, and a civilian from Ohio performed a skit as part of the Redneck of the Year contest in which a dog was traded for a man in blackface who then pretended to perform oral sex on a person in mock Ku Klux Klan garments. All rights reserved. If someone is accused of wrongdoing, its up to a jury of their peers to determine their fate. 3. A widely-publicized excerpt from a home video allegedly filmed at a Roundup showed a sign that read, "Nigger check point." There is a popular old tale by Hans Christian Andersen (n.d.) of the emperors new clothes, where an emperor pays a significant amount of money for some magic clothes, which can only be seen by those who are wise. But the inquiry is, by necessity, highly fact-specific. People that are bringing people up in rank based on personal relationship, Gritz told Hill. Copyrighted and Published on January 29, 2020. Although not identified as such, Randall and Hayward proved to be members of a militia group based in Alabama that sought to discredit the ATF. His component, however, must assess this conduct in light of the employee's history. He eventually parked his car off to the side, removed the offensive clothing, and was permitted to enter. Copyright 2023 Immediately after the skit, Rightmyer publicly criticized its participants but took no other action, such as ejecting them from the Roundup. Instead, it is working for those in power, which crushes ongoing momentum efforts. Furthermore, members of the Senate Judiciary Committee in public hearings emphasized the need for a comprehensive investigation because the allegations implicated numerous law enforcement agencies in the criminal justice system. We discovered, however, a huge gap between these policies, on the one hand, and actual attendance at and perceptions about the event, on the other. B. This group of participants affiliated with DOJ constitutes approximately three percent of the estimated total number of attendees at the sixteen Roundups. In addition, a former ATF agent in an interview subsequent to his Senate hearing testimony alleged for the first time that in 1987 he heard from another ATF agent that a woman had been raped by an ATF agent at the Roundup. Another T-shirt had a crude drawing of the figure used in the children's game, "Hangman," and the initials "O" and "J" beneath the figure. Over 900 people were interviewed and statementized in connection with the OIG investigation. Although we heard conflicting views as to whether this conduct was intended to send a benign message of "Southern heritage" or a message of racism and intolerance, especially towards African Americans, we conclude that such displays had the effect, whether intended or not, of adding to a racially charged and hostile environment. Rules are paramount to maintaining order and uniformity in the military. Because of the historical connections between similar sites and racist activities, these agents attributed racist intentions to the Roundup due simply to its location. Indeed, by 1990, law enforcement officers -- federal, state, and local -- were outnumbered by participants who had no such affiliation. It begs the question of how important relationships are in the advancement of people within an organization, and how do great organizations find the balance of personal relationships? Poor decisions are made, costing the organization credibility and destroying public confidence. He also alleged that ATF agents surrounded cars entering the campground and shouted, "Got any niggers in that car?" There are even those that will incite a situation in order to see how the new person responds. The accounts of nudity reported to us included men on their way to and from the showers, women dancers, women baring their chests, a retired officer exposing himself with his badge displayed on his penis, people pulling trousers off other attendees, and other similar behavior. Roundup's Racism in the Law enforcement Community Never Died. Substantiated Allegations As discussed below, two of them who were accompanied by a white ATF agent got into a confrontation when the white ATF agent was accused of "bringing niggers to the Roundup" by the event staff members who were operating the "Nigger checkpoint.". However, too often these are disregarded because superiors are told things are fine by the sycophants. 2023 Copyright Law Enforcement Today - All Rights Reserved. Another local resident professed to have actually seen the rape during the 1988 or 1989 Roundup. And although we were able to identify more who had been invited to attend, most chose not to -- some merely because the name and location suggested to them that they would not be welcome there. A related idea is patronage, giving public service jobs to those who may have helped elect the person who has the power of appointment. These signs read, "Nigger check point," "Any niggers in that car?," and "17 lb." Randall also alleged that a T-shirt with a picture of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., with a target superimposed over his face, was offered for sale. In any event, no one was punished for posting them. In addition, allegations of criminal conduct, including narcotics distribution and rape, were raised at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing held within ten days of the original news stories. In 1991 wo-men accounted for only 9% of law enforcement agencies (Price, 1996). ", Racists with Badges: The Good Ol' Boys Roundup. In 1990 and 1992, the same years as these signs appeared, and near where they were posted, persons whom we could not identify were checking to determine if any blacks were in any of the cars driving through the campground. Second, there are few issues within a police organization that should be held close to the chest (i.e.- internal affairs investigations or sensitive investigations). DOJ regulations also prohibit employees from engaging in "disrespectful conduct." It makes the job undesirable to those who could very likely possess the skills and training to become an asset. These people are so bitter that they spend most trying to screw over each other in order to make themselves feel better. OIG also found insufficient evidence to conclude that a racist sign was displayed in any part of the campground during the 1989 Roundup. With respect to a second individual, formerly employed by INS but now an employee of Treasury, we are transmitting information to the applicable Department of Treasury component by which he is now employed for consideration of possible discipline. (2014). Satterthwaite is asking for reinstatement to his position, a trial by jury and that the department covers his attorney fees. E. OIG Recommendations A widely-publicized excerpt from a home video allegedly filmed at a Roundup showed a sign that read, "Nigger check point." We found substantial evidence that strippers performed at the campground year after year beginning around 1988. During a debate with incumbent (real) Governor Brian Kemp (R-GA) Sunday night, Abrams decided to take a potshot at county sheriffs throughout the state. Rightmyer was interviewed by OIG twice, including an all day on-the-record interview in the latter stages of the investigation. Others may restrict the hiring of relatives or friends in more general conflict-of-interest rules. Retrieved from file:///C:/Users/bellis.NTCOFSP/Downloads/0679.pdf, Rand, S. (n.d.). He eventually parked his car off to the side, removed the offensive clothing, and was permitted to enter. One author has experienced time after time a working climate where people would rather be seen as smart, instead of asking the necessary clarification questions on a myriad of issues. We were unable to establish how long this conduct lasted or how many people may have been involved in it. In addition, because our evaluation of DOJ employee conduct required the fullest and most accurate reconstruction possible of what had actually occurred at the Roundup, we sought to identify as many attendees of the various Roundups as we could. He is currently the SWAT commander and oversees the Metro Divisions Special Operations section. As the old saying goes, "It's not what you know but who you know," or, as blogger Danny Ferguson put it, "It's not what you don't know; it's who your college roommate knows." The preponderance of the evidence suggested that local police officers from Florence and Boone County, Kentucky, were responsible for posting these signs. This interviewing strategy was designed to ferret out as much information from as many different sources as possible to minimize the chances that racial or other kinds of misconduct might be concealed from us. Thus, whether intended or not, the Roundup was in fact predominantly a gathering of whites. Logan of the University of Kentucky, the lead researcher, noted that the rural women were from the Appalachian area, which has received media attention because of drug use. A so called "merit-based" promotion policy or system is nothing but another way to make it sound like management is promoting based on merit, when they're actually just putting up a smokescreen to disguise their need to circumvent civil service rules to put their boys into positions they're too . Introduction The caption read, "Boyz on the Hood." We further believe that such regulation is wholly appropriate. However, the respective components may wish to consider counseling for some of their employee participants based on our findings. If theres hardly any women in leadership, youre given the perception that there is discrimination practices going on., THE HILL 1625 K STREET, NW SUITE 900 WASHINGTON DC 20006 | 202-628-8500 TEL | 202-628-8503 FAX. First, the allegations of racist conduct contained in the initial media accounts and Congressional testimony were truly shocking. Thus, we had a responsibility to gather as much evidence as possible on the experiences of the DOJ personnel who attended the Roundup so we could absolve the innocent as well as blame the guilty. For most of the allegations, no physical or documentary evidence was available. Although our investigation established that the Roundup was nothing like a "Klan rally," the fact that specific acts of racist misconduct occurred in three different years made more difficult our assessment of the general charge that the Roundup had a "whites-only" attendance policy. Good Ol boys club - Police Forums & Law Enforcement Forums Twenty-three of the forty-four DOJ employees attended only one Roundup; eight more went only twice. Beshear confirms 3 dead after severe weather makes its way through Kentuckiana, LG&E: 'Significant' power outages with no restoration time given, A councilwoman's 'road map' to equity in Louisville, 'We have another study that tells us what we already know' | Black Louisvillians react to LMPD review, 'Breonna's home state continues to fail her' | Louisville groups raise concerns over changes to bill that would limit no-knock warrants, 'To lose my son in the same community I grew up in, it's tough.' This is why. How can this not be a 'Good Ole Boy' system issue along with Judges being appointed by these same legislators. In addition to charges of racism, allegations of criminal or other misconduct were also raised. Only one DOJ employee, now retired, served in an official organizational capacity as an "MOB," which stood for the "members of the board" or "mean old bastards," the group with responsibility for cooking, registration, and official recreational activities. Other attendees intervened and broke up the confrontation. If a toxic leader surrounds him or herself with only people that nod, agree, and kiss their ass, theyll see no need for improvement. He described the doll as a seed and told the audience that one must "kill the seed when it is young," and proceeded to beat the doll. Although high ranking officers and senior enlisted have always tried to pluck toxicity out of the system because it goes against every military value, it still rears its head, typically in the form of the good ol boy system. Half of the DOJ participants did not go to any Roundups after 1988 -- a significant fact because no egregious racist misconduct was alleged to have occurred prior to 1989. In Hayward's case, for example, the important kernels of truth contained in his 1990 videotape and in his allegation regarding a particularly egregious racist skit in 1990 were combined with other allegations that were embellishments of actual events and in many cases distortions and outright fabrications. Example video title will go here for this video. Archived | Perspectives on Civil Protective Orders in Domestic Violence OIG believes further that employees bring disrepute to the Department and adversely affect their ability to perform their law enforcement mission if they knowingly attend an event whose purpose is to encourage or promote racist activity. We could not escape making judgments concerning their credibility. OIG also reviewed the testimony of hundreds of witnesses provided during interviews conducted by other agencies. Have a news tip? These men and women have been the . In 1992, he left a pile of these materials at the registration desk, which the people at the desk promptly discarded. . We determined, however, that because the Roundup campground was not isolated or well-secured, it was ill-suited for secretive racist gatherings. His component, however, must assess this conduct in light of the employee's history. One witness also recalled that Hayward was wearing a Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. mask with a bullet hole in the forehead. We also found that an atmosphere hostile to minorities -- and to women -- developed over time because inadequate action was taken by the Roundup's organizers to appropriately deal with instances of racial or other kinds of misconduct. These standards apply to employees' off-duty conduct in addition to their conduct on the job. We want to draw attention to good models of law enforcement that have improved the effectiveness of policing and interactions with minority communities. This impacts the department in multiple ways such as: 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. The display of the Confederate flag is a controversial matter. When these allegations were first made public, the public criticism was broad and harsh. CAIRO, Ga. It was Election Day in Grady County, and Sheriff Harry Young, 76, had hardly slept three hours the night before. More information about these Birmingham-area law enforcement Skinheads will be detailed in my upcoming book, "Inmate 36223-001: The Story of a Political Prisoner. Pro-Kemp Georgia sheriffs furious at Stacey Abrams for 'good ole boy Finally in October he relinquished the videotape for analysis by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and agreed to an on-the-record interview. Also, the appearance of favoritism weakens morale in government service, not to mention public faith in the integrity of government. Although not identified as such, Randall and Hayward proved to be members of a militia group based in Alabama that sought to discredit the ATF. Johnson, C. (2012). GEORGIA- Stacey Abrams, the Invisalign and NutriSystem poster child who still thinks she's the governor of Georgia has a pretty funny way of reaching out to law enforcement officers. Those who are insular limit the abilities of work engagement and limiting an organizations true potential. Only through a full understanding of the context of the event and the employee's participation in it can a fair assessment be made of whether punishment is appropriate. Exploring the nature of the old boys network in the United States: Using electronic networks of practice to understand gendered issues in HRD. Who knows if they will have our back when the time comes? Most agencies that employ such tactics ultimately end up with a sub-par employee energy level, providing little more to the public they serve than the status quo. In 1990 and 1992, the same years as these signs appeared, and near where they were posted, persons whom we could not identify were checking to determine if any blacks were in any of the cars driving through the campground. D. Findings Regarding Other Misconduct Racism lawsuit will proceed against "good ole' boy - Substack #8. The initial allegations brought in their wake a blanket condemnation of all federal law enforcement personnel who attended the event. We also found no evidence that any DOJ employees attended the Roundup without taking appropriate leave. When there are divisions within a single unit because someone doesnt like that guy for something personal, the unit has a serious problem. In 1995, a white ATF agent who came to the Roundup with two black officers was taunted about the presence of the black agents. Buckingham, M. (2011). 2. In media interviews, Randall and Hayward stated that they went to the site of the 1995 Roundup with the intention of finding racist conduct to report. Although we heard conflicting views as to whether this conduct was intended to send a benign message of "Southern heritage" or a message of racism and intolerance, especially towards African Americans, we conclude that such displays had the effect, whether intended or not, of adding to a racially charged and hostile environment. Without these examples, the texture of the event could not be adequately communicated. One of the most basic themes in ethics is fairness, stated this way by Artistotle: "Equals should be treated equally and unequals unequally." Another aspect of this system affects promotions and post assignments. After conducting a comprehensive investigation of the Roundup from Apparently, the same concern and solicitude did not extend to the relatively few female law enforcement personnel who went to a Roundup. Intent and a "Whites-only" Policy. Accordingly, we recommend that the Department of Justice do the following: 1) explicitly advise its employees that off-duty conduct is subject to regulation and review and that sanctions can be imposed for off-duty misconduct; 2) examine the existing standards of conduct that apply to the off-duty behavior of DOJ law enforcement components, and provide further guidance for what constitutes conduct that brings the Department or one of its agencies into disrepute; 3) educate and train its law enforcement officers concerning how participation in events that are characterized by racist misconduct in particular can interfere with their ability to effectively do their jobs, such as opening up lines of inquiry relating to racial prejudice when law enforcement officers serve as witnesses in criminal cases; and.