good ole boy system in law enforcement

After these events, Satterthwaite filed a PSU complaint. OIG subpoenaed computer and bank records relating to the Roundup from Gene Rightmyer, the former ATF agent who had organized and led the Roundup from 1980 through 1995. Poor decisions are made, costing the organization credibility and destroying public confidence. We found no evidence that any racial restrictions, either explicit or implicit, were placed on the distribution of these invitations. In addition, two local women provided affidavits to the Senate Judiciary Committee alleging, among other things, that a woman had been gang-raped at a Roundup, a "drug enforcement officer" had offered one of them drugs during a Roundup, and a goat had been purchased for bestiality purposes. Georgia sheriffs supporting Gov. 1. Other attendees intervened and broke up the confrontation. A second sign, this one reading, "nigger checkpoint," was reported to have been posted across from the registration area early on the morning the Roundup began. Nevertheless, we found that, regardless of intent, some minority agents perceived a message that they would not be welcome or considered a "good o' boy," and that indeed they might face racial intolerance and hostility if they attended. 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. What are favoritism, cronyism, and nepotism? Coming from the Italian word for nephew, it covers favoritism to members of the family. All told, our investigation took into account the statements of nearly 900 witnesses, including 560 who attended a Roundup. These allegations also threatened to taint the public reputation of the agencies that employed these agents. Although OIG was able to interview the local residents and the current and former ATF agents who made allegations, the militia members did not cooperate. Indeed, we recognized that the persons who attended the Roundup may have had a motive to conceal or minimize the instances of racial or other kinds of misconduct in order to make their attendance at a Roundup appear more benign than it might have been. If they do pretend it doesnt exist, troops will catch on and word will spread quickly through the ranks. 9. DOJ regulations also prohibit employees from engaging in "disrespectful conduct." Intent and a "Whites-only" Policy In 1993, Hayward arrived at the campground with his car plastered with racially offensive and political materials. Many of the central figures involved in staging the Roundup over the years were also interviewed. Contact Mike for services Life Coaching, Training, Team Building, Corporate Training, Project Management, and Public Speaking Instead, they share the group's racial beliefs system. Another local resident professed to have actually seen the rape during the 1988 or 1989 Roundup. Other than one inappropriate comment by one FBI agent, we found no evidence that any DOJ employee engaged in racist or other misconduct while at the Roundup. However, too often these are disregarded because superiors are told things are fine by the sycophants. According to Fatal Encounters, George Floyd was one of 819 individuals killed during interactions with police so far in 2020. A lot of the Texas law enforcement is still the good ol' boys, and the good ol' boys never, never want to be managed by anyone other than good ol' boys. In our view, the existing standards of conduct are broad enough to regulate off-duty conduct when it could impair the effectiveness of DOJ employees or bring discredit on their employing agency. The lawsuit, filed by Sam Aguiar on behalf of Officer Philip Satterthwaite, claims LMPD allows friends, family and favorites to receive positions over more qualified applicants, particularly Black officers. Nepotism is an even narrower form of favoritism. For example, in Birmingham, Alabama, two closeted individuals closely associated with the Skinhead movement are firmly entrenched in the U.S. Attorney's Office. Decertification means Handley is forbidden from working in law enforcement anywhere in the state . Although numerous liaisons between Roundup participants and local women were reported, we found no evidence that these liaisons were anything but consensual and non-remunerative. During the course of this investigation OIG interviewed over 500 witnesses, including participants in the Roundup, people who were invited but did not attend, vendors to the Roundup, DOJ employees based in Southeastern offices, river raft guides, local Tennessee residents, and others. Decisions that need to be made get kicked down the road and unpopular people no matter their competence have no voice. Personal written invitations were sent only to those who had previously registered for a Roundup. An exhaustive investigation and a full report of the Good O' Boy Roundup was important for several reasons. 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. How to break up the old boys club in your office. OIG investigated every allegation of specific racist misconduct made by Hayward, Randall, several current and former black ATF agents, and witnesses who were interviewed during the course of this investigation. 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. Verifying the allegations, therefore, required assessing the accuracy and reliability of testimony given by witnesses. Cronyism is a more specific form of favoritism, referring to partiality towards friends and associates. Understanding the basic needs of people, appreciating the contributions of others, and helping them achieve their potential are building blocks of successful organizations (Stallard, 2007). Although in earlier years we found efforts by Rightmyer to ensure that women were treated appropriately and these women reported no problems, we found little evidence of concern in the later years when the objectionable conduct became pervasive. As favoritism is the broadest of these related terms, we'll start with its definition. Op/Ed: Employment And Crime. The OIG Investigation Rightmyer was interviewed by OIG twice, including an all day on-the-record interview in the latter stages of the investigation. Katzenbach, J., Steffen, I., & Kronley, C. (2012). These signs included, "Nigger checkpoint," "Any niggers in that car?," "no niggers," and "17 cents lb." 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. In one photo, a group surrounding the flag are shown making obscene gestures and raising their fists in a Nazi salute. How can this not be a 'Good Ole Boy' system issue along with Judges being appointed by these same legislators. A problem arises, however, when a leader decides to sweep an issue under the rug. 1980-95, we conclude that the Roundup was not, as it was portrayed in the media stories, a "Klan rally," an intentionally "whites-only" racist gathering, or a haven for criminal conduct. 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. He left the Roundup a few hours later. CAIRO, Ga. It was Election Day in Grady County, and Sheriff Harry Young, 76, had hardly slept three hours the night before. He was going for another term, his fifth, and as the . The OIG report contains a summary of our findings with respect to these and all other DOJ employees who attended. We also found that an atmosphere hostile to minorities -- and to women -- developed over time because inadequate action was taken by the Roundup organizers to appropriately deal with instances of racial or other kinds of misconduct.". 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. All told, our investigation took into account the statements of nearly 900 witnesses, including 560 who attended a 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. These materials were prepared for the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics program in Government Ethics by former Senior Fellow Judy Nadler and former Communications Director Miriam Schulman. He contended that racist signs and an effigy of a black person were displayed at the registration desk for the entire Roundup. In 1992, he left a pile of these materials at the registration desk, which the people at the desk promptly discarded. 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. Officers from Cobb County, Georgia, brought a similar shirt. 2. The two primary accusers were Jeffrey Randall and a person identified only as a "former Alabama police official," whom we later determined to be Richard Hayward. In July 1995, national attention focused suddenly on an annual private gathering in southeastern Tennessee known as the "Good O' Boy Roundup" (Roundup). Unlimited access to beer twenty-four hours a day led to extreme drunkenness. 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." 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. 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. This is an opportunity for troops to vent legitimate problems. Findings Regarding Specific Racist Misconduct. He works for the Missouri Department of Corrections and is currently a trainer. The display of the Confederate flag is a controversial matter. This woman denied that she was raped. The other women who were baring their breasts were consensual sex partners for single and married agents. The initial allegations brought in their wake a blanket condemnation of all federal law enforcement personnel who attended the event. Regardless of their source, if true, these allegations threatened to seriously undermine the ability of these agents to perform their critical missions, particularly enforcing federal criminal law, upholding civil rights laws, and providing equal protection under the law. c) Racist Skits In 1992, two different signs were displayed at the campground. The next day Rightmyer told the offenders that blacks were welcome at the Roundup and if they did not like it, they should leave. Also, the appearance of favoritism weakens morale in government service, not to mention public faith in the integrity of government. These signs read, "Nigger check point," "Any niggers in that car?," and "17 lb." An exhaustive investigation and a full report of the Good O' Boy Roundup was important for several reasons. In the Redneck of the Year skit, "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." For 1995, Randall contended that "nigger hunting licenses" were openly available on the Roundup campground. Unsubstantiated Allegations 1 . They were welcomed at the Roundup in multiple years. We found evidence of the unofficial sale of T-shirts during several Roundups that some persons found to be racially insensitive. The signs were removed and destroyed. Scratch my back, Ill scratch yours Retrieved from file:///C:/Users/bellis.NTCOFSP/Downloads/0679.pdf, Rand, S. (n.d.). We found substantial evidence that strippers performed at the campground year after year beginning around 1988. In the 1970s the percentage of women in law en-forcement was only at 2% (Price, 1996). Under applicable precedents, DOJ employees could be punished if they were found to have directly engaged in racist acts even while off duty. In July 1995, national attention focused suddenly on an annual private gathering in southeastern Tennessee known as the "Good O' Boy Roundup" (Roundup). The OIG acknowledged in a March 1996 Report that "the persons who attended the Roundup may have had a motive to conceal or minimize the instances of racial or other kinds of misconduct in order to make their attendance at a Roundup appear more benign than it might have been." In 1989 and other unspecified years we found evidence that cassette tapes of music by a performer named David Allen Coe were played at various campsites, including a song named "My Wife Ran Off With a Nigger." A third local resident made a vague and contradictory claim that marijuana was used in the campground during one unspecified Roundup. Finally, public nudity was commonplace at various Roundups. Twenty-three of the forty-four DOJ employees attended only one Roundup; eight more went only twice. 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. Every president and governor names close associates to key cabinet positions. When there is a more formal approach to succession planning, departments usually build more buy-in and elicit better work outputs from people. 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 He refused to comply with any aspect of this subpoena. This failure, together with the availability of massive amounts of alcohol, no doubt contributed to the recurrence of such incidents. Sometime after the confrontation some unidentified persons painted the words "niggers go home" and "whites only" on toilets in the campground. I. The banner was thrown in the trash. Randall was even less cooperative, refusing to answer more than a few basic questions in the presence of other militia members in late July and refusing our requests for a subsequent interview. When a small group is privy to whats really going on, the majority of the organization is in the dark and cannot be expected to have the ability to do its best work. We also found no evidence that any DOJ employees attended the Roundup without taking appropriate leave. We further believe that such regulation is wholly appropriate. In addition to the persons who brought allegations of racism to light, OIG sought to interview persons who were identified as having committed racially offensive acts. [W]e found evidence that cassette tapes of music by a performer named David Allen Coe were played during various years, including the song, "My Wife Ran Off With a Nigger.". Those incidents helped create and perpetuate a climate that was not welcoming towards African Americans, other minorities, or women. Our investigative and interviewing strategy was designed to get beyond potentially self-serving accounts. In the public sphere, favoritism, cronyism, and nepotism also undermine the common good. Randall was even less cooperative, refusing to answer more than a few basic questions in the presence of other militia members in late July and refusing our requests for a subsequent interview. 1980-95, we conclude that the Roundup was not, as it was portrayed in the media stories, a "Klan rally," an intentionally "whites-only" racist gathering, or a haven for criminal conduct. "Obviously LMPD fights any type of discrimination but I don't know about the case and if I did I couldn't comment about it," Fischer said. The signs were removed and destroyed. But, when two groups of good ol boys butt heads, everyone else now needs to play along with their stupid game no matter how petty. These men and women have been the . When the investigation began, concern was raised that federal employees might have used government time and resources to promote racist activities, in violation of Office of Government Ethics standards. The initial allegations of racist conduct were made in an article in the Washington Times on July 11. Year-to-date through October 23, 2020, the numbers were already at 632 calls. Lexipol. Maybe they'll freeze, or run away. Satterthwaite says he and Chief Chavous uncovered several issues of discrimination and bias within the department that, he says, mirror the results of the Hillard Heintz internal investigation. We determined, however, that because the Roundup campground was not isolated or well-secured, it was ill-suited for secretive racist gatherings. We also found substantial credible evidence of racially insensitive conduct in 1985, 1987, 1989, and 1993. 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 1992, two different signs were displayed at the campground. What ethical dilemmas do favoritism, cronyism, and nepotism present. Unlimited access to beer twenty-four hours a day led to extreme drunkenness. Randall was served with an OIG administrative subpoena for photographs of the Roundup and the original videotape, which Hayward had turned over to him. All troops arent always going to get along. 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). You would have everyone on equal footing, we would be treated fairly. He also teaches martial arts outside of the DOC. The largest number of DOJ employees in attendance in any given year was eleven, a level reached twice, once out of approximately 400 attendees in 1986 and then again out of 520 attendees in 1994. Satterthwaite is asking for reinstatement to his position, a trial by jury and that the department covers his attorney fees. Will Leflore and Metro Council President David James worked with LMPD for 20 years. When the investigation began, concern was raised that federal employees might have used government time and resources to promote racist activities, in violation of Office of Government Ethics standards. "A 'good ole' boy' network refers to an informal system where white men of a similar background use their influence for their mutual benefit (and often to the detriment of those who are not part of the 'good ole' boy' network)." . Businesses with higher Q12 scores experience higher productivity, profitability, customer satisfaction, and less liability (Buckingham, 2011). Inmates who seem to threaten law suits and or . Logically speaking, the first troop should get a higher award than the second. While these practices are intended to strengthen us as a whole and weed out the untrustworthy, it actually does the opposite. Letting friends or inner-circles have a lack of accountability does not help mobilize the workforce in our heaviest lift yet- sustaining an above-average service during every contact we make. Another aspect of this system affects promotions and post assignments. Fired up or burned out: How to reignite your teams passion, creativity, and productivity. We also conclude that by the time racist conduct began to appear at the Roundup and persons began to attribute racist tendencies to it, the Roundup organizers should have been aware that the name itself may have sent a less-than-welcoming message to all potential attendees. T-shirts were sold at the Roundup that were found to be racially insensitive. 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. Through these efforts, OIG identified nearly 1400 persons who attended the Roundup between 1980 and 1995. And in many cases, DOJ employees acted as one would hope they would -- they saw an event marked by excessive alcohol consumption and puerile behavior and never returned. Our review of Roundup policies and practices established by Rightmyer and the Roundup organizers revealed no evidence of an intent to create or maintain a "whites-only" event. Finally, a full investigation of the Roundup was necessary because these allegations had a large potential impact on the administration of the federal criminal justice system and the character and reputation of federal law enforcement officers Remarkably, we found no one in attendance who appeared to be offended by such activity or who sought to curb it. TVs Krystal Ball on Rising.. Time for reform and change. 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. Development opportunities go to the in crowd. -- a particular responsibility of the Department of Justice. First, the allegations of racist conduct contained in the initial media accounts and Congressional testimony were truly shocking. Finally, leaders build momentum by connecting with as many people as possible; thus building opportunities for everyone and more importantly connection. Accordingly, we recommend that the Department of Justice do the following: 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. #3. 6. On two occasions the Redneck of the Year contest contained blatantly racist material. In the lawsuit, Officer Philip Satterthwaite claims that LMPD officials promoted friends and family members over better-qualified candidates. OIG investigated each of these claims as well, most of which were initially contained in affidavits of two women submitted to the Senate Judiciary Committee in July. But by failing to eject or punish any of the people known to have engaged in the misconduct, the Roundup organizers failed to deliver a strong, unequivocal message that racist conduct would not be tolerated. 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. These signs read, "Nigger check point," "Any niggers in that car?," and "17 lb." In response to a request of the Deputy Attorney General, the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (OIG) conducted a wide-ranging investigation to determine whether any Department of Justice (DOJ) employees had attended the Roundup and, if so, whether they engaged in or approved of racial, criminal, or other kinds of misconduct at any of the sixteen Roundups from 1980 through 1995. C. Findings Regarding General Allegations of Racist We not only had to deal with weak recollections due to the passage of time but also faulty or incomplete memories because so many participants had consumed so much alcohol during the Roundup. This may be called Tools or use an icon like the cog. Many DOJ employees believe that what they do off duty is their business and not a proper concern of their employer. That database shows that there have been 429 fatal officer . Likewise, no federal, state, or local law enforcement agent was fired because of his participation in the Roundups. Mired in tradition, the 'good ol' boys club' mentality keeps us moving backward and prevents us from being respected for the job we do Dec 30, 2014 We are rapidly heading into 2015. 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. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2012/07/cultural-change-that-sticks, Lee, A. Although we found that in certain years egregious acts of racism occurred, in most cases we concluded that the DOJ employees in attendance those years were either unaware of such conduct or had learned that the organizers had taken action to terminate it. The emperors new clothes.Retrieved from http://www.andersen.sdu.dk/vaerk/hersholt/TheEmperorsNewClothes_e.html. Internal transparency builds trust and more importantly- ownership. Gritz also highlighted that the report said 43 percent of female criminal investigators experienced a form of gender discrimination of the past four years. Ultimately, the purported eyewitness recanted his claim. Even though our assessment is that an inadequate evidentiary basis exists to recommend discipline for any of the other DOJ employees whose conduct we considered, we are extremely troubled by many of the excesses committed by non-DOJ attendees at the Roundup that developed during the mid-1980s and grew far worse during the years 1990-95. 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. Greater punishment could be warranted, therefore, if the behavior evidenced in this investigation is part of a pattern of documented racial insensitivity. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. We have been on the . In the words of basketball coaching legend John Wooden, when everybody thinks alike, nobody thinks. There are countless leaders in history such as George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Abraham Lincoln Winston Churchill, and Franklin D. Roosevelt who used the value of challenging their own modes of thinking; whether through a team who had diverse views, or reaching out to others for advice, or seeing how the value of people who think differently than you builds success. At least 10 percent of the attendees had federal law enforcement affiliations. We could not escape making judgments concerning their credibility. They are a master at what they do and have not just helped others with problems, theyve taught others how to fix those problems for next time. ForAppleorAndroidusers. We should have flying cars, human-like AI's, teleporters and more. The "good ole boy" system plagues T.D.C.J, and is part of the reason they have a hard time keeping employees. 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. OIG investigated every allegation of specific racist misconduct made by Hayward, Randall, several current and former black ATF agents, and witnesses who were interviewed during the course of this investigation. 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.

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