good ole boy system in law enforcement

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. 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 practice should be made. 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. Extremely demeaning language and inappropriate sexual touching occurred. In addition to Hayward, two other witnesses had vague and indeterminate recollections of some type of racist sign being posted in the campground for a short time in 1989. In its Report, the OIG made many findings, including the following: 1. According to the lawsuit, Satterthwaite says he was not given any explanation as to why he was being surveyed. For example, one T-shirt for sale depicted three police officers around a police car and two black persons being held face down on the hood of the car. 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. 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. OIG found no evidence that any DOJ employee -- or federal employees from other agencies -- participated in such conduct. Even male attendees told us that would not have wanted any female family member or friend to attend the Roundup because of how women were treated. We found no evidence that any racial restrictions, either explicit or implicit, were placed on the distribution of these invitations. . researches product purchases and suppliers. During this 16-year period, only 4 black law enforcement agents ever attempted to attend the 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. The "good ol' boys club" mentality pretty much turns our place of work into high school. At our direction, DOJ components canvassed their employees to determine whether any had either attended or been invited to a Roundup or knew anyone who had. Copyright 2023 He left the Roundup a few hours later. Why Violence Is Increasing. We discuss the problem of one of our State Legislators practicing Law privately and representing a subject in a high profile, double murder trial and how it raises questions for citizens, Law Enforcement and Circuit Solicitors Offices. Performances in the skit competitions included participants who bit off the head of a dead snake; ate a whole raw fish soaked in beer; defecated on stage; soiled their trousers on stage; and pulled chewing tobacco out of their trousers pretending it to be excrement and put it in their mouths. Favoritism has always been a complaint in government service. Personal written invitations were sent only to those who had previously registered for a Roundup. Thirty-six were DOJ employees when they attended; eight went prior to becoming DOJ employees. They are not operating in any undercover capacity to infiltrate this racist organization. During the 16-year run of the Roundups, no FBI, DEA, or ATF agent, or other DOJ official reported this ingrained, flagrant, and sustained display of racism and sexism to the OIG or the U.S. Attorney General. Introduction Maybe they'll freeze, or run away. In 2001 the National Center for Women 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." He was told by a Fort Lauderdale officer that "ATF fucks up everything they touch Now you are bringing niggers to the Roundup." g) Display of Confederate Flag To assist the Director of the FBI in his determination of punishment in this case, we are also forwarding additional information from our investigative files and will provide further information as requested. Hayward also brought a large David Duke for President banner to hang in the campground, but it was up only briefly before Roundup organizers ordered that it be taken down. Blaming these people for the sins of others would have been unfair. Connections and concessions are made at power lunches, at the sports bar, at the country club, or on the golf course. [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.". The good ol boy system is when a leader unabashedly chooses favorites among their subordinates. His component, however, must assess this conduct in light of the employee's history. Each of these persons identified the same woman as the alleged rape victim. Indeed, by 1990, law enforcement officers -- federal, state, and local -- were outnumbered by participants who had no such affiliation. Importantly as well, there were not many options given the initial objective of finding a site for an overnight camping and whitewater rafting trip near Rightmyer's duty office in Knoxville. This tale describes the danger of situations where people are afraid to criticize an initiative because of the people involved, or how popular the idea is, as well as the inability to ask questions because of the fear of feeling inferior. Buckingham, M. (2011). You want to make sure that you have a diverse leadership, the former FBI agent said. 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. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson. Without these examples, the texture of the event could not be adequately communicated. However, the respective components may wish to consider counseling for some of their employee participants based on our findings. Here's what I am working up to: it's been mentioned in many articles. If we were able to do away with the "club" morale and job satisfaction would greatly increase. Many fell somewhere in between. Thus, whether intended or not, the Roundup was in fact predominantly a gathering of whites. The public drunkenness began far earlier and was a reason cited by many DOJ employees and others for not returning to the Roundup. In a number of years, but certainly in 1990 and 1992, Confederate flags were displayed at various locations in and around the Roundup campground. 2. Hayward and his attorney terminated the interview shortly after the questioning turned to Hayward's own white supremacist views and activities. Over 900 people were interviewed and statementized in connection with the OIG investigation. In the public sphere, favoritism, cronyism, and nepotism also undermine the common good. We found no information to identify who was responsible for this sign. Self-censorship: People avoid deviating from the norms of the group and would rather fit in over having a better answer. 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. Many DOJ employees believe that what they do off duty is their business and not a proper concern of their employer. OIG interviewed every DOJ employee, current and past, who attended at least one Roundup, and many of their colleagues and supervisors, with a particular emphasis on minority employees, to determine what they knew about the Roundup. Finally, leaders build momentum by connecting with as many people as possible; thus building opportunities for everyone and more importantly connection. A. DOJ Participation A widely-publicized excerpt from a home video allegedly filmed at a Roundup showed a sign that read, "Nigger check point." 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. They also bring this up in the report, the club the good old boys club. Unlimited access to beer twenty-four hours a day led to extreme drunkenness. His component, however, must assess this conduct in light of the employee's history. Furthermore, the failure of the Roundup organizers to take any action regarding conduct that was less blatant, but still offensive to many, created a racially hostile environment such that blacks who attended would not have felt welcome. Although Rightmyer again criticized the officer who performed this skit, he took no other action. In 1995, one current and three retired Fort Lauderdale police officers confronted a white ATF agent who had come to the Roundup with two black law enforcement officers. He is adept in several forms of martial arts, including Kenpo Karate, Tae Kwon Do, and various grappling styles. "There is definitely a system of the good ole boy system that takes place," James said. We believe we have developed a fair and accurate picture of what occurred. 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. 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. RELATED: A councilwoman's 'road map' to equity in Louisville. Intent and a "Whites-only" Policy. None of the allegations of criminal conduct were substantiated, although activity inappropriate for a gathering with a substantial number of law enforcement officers took place. John F. Kennedy, for example, appointed his brother Robert as attorney general. The banner was thrown in the trash. 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. In 1995, T-shirts with a crude drawing of the figure used in the children's game, "Hangman," and the initials "O" and "J" beneath the figure were sold by two officers from Fort Lauderdale. And everyone can point to instances where cronyism or nepotism is an accepted fact of life in political sphere, as well. 'Good ole boy system': LMPD officer files lawsuit accusing department of bias, discrimination. He also alleged that ATF agents surrounded cars entering the campground and shouted, "Got any niggers in that car?" 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. We conclude that specific disciplinary action is not warranted for the vast majority of DOJ employees who attended the Roundup in one or more years. WHAS11 asked Mayor Greg Fischer about the allegations on Tuesday. In 1993, Hayward arrived at the campground with his car plastered with racially offensive and political materials. Creativity Inc: Overcoming the unseen forces that stand in the way of true inspiration. Emailassign@whas11.com, visit ourFacebook pageorTwitter feed. After these events, Satterthwaite filed a PSU complaint. He was going for another term, his fifth, and as the . When there is a more formal approach to succession planning, departments usually build more buy-in and elicit better work outputs from people. The Uniform Code of Military Justice is very clear. 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. I can see and understand how the system would come into practice. According to the lawsuit, LMPD eliminated Satterthwaite's position as Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer without explanation. Realistically, they probably got the same recognition, despite the difference in effort. 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. For the most part, the Roundup attendees, who gathered each year in May at a campground near Ocoee, Tennessee, came from law enforcement agencies in the Southeast part of the United States. This impacts the department in multiple ways such as: Instead we have racism, nepotism, favoritism, and few other ism's. 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. 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 any event, no one was punished for posting them. Do Not Sell My Personal Information, If you need further help setting your homepage, check your browsers Help menu, First Circuit: Surgery performed on inmate to locate alleged contraband a violation of the Fourth Amendment, Ala. police: Man gets ride home from jail, then kills 3 relatives and friend, Charges dropped against detainee after video showed beating by deputies inside Ga. jail, Inmate accused of slashing N.Y. corrections officer indicted, Open the tools menu in your browser. Nepotism is an even narrower form of favoritism. One particular display in 1992, captured in a photograph we obtained during the investigation, included a group surrounding the flag whose members are shown making obscene gestures and raising their fists. Maintaining a healthy skepticism of your own thoughts and ideas leads to a growth mindset. We were unable to establish how long this conduct lasted or how many people may have been involved in it. OIG also reviewed the testimony of hundreds of witnesses provided during interviews conducted by other agencies. 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. 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. The assessment center for promotion of police officers: can it be improved? Our investigative and interviewing strategy was designed to get beyond potentially self-serving accounts. Contrary to the media accounts of this incident, the black agents were not turned away from the Roundup. We found substantial evidence that the campground was a hostile environment for women especially in the later years of the Roundup. Coming from the Italian word for nephew, it covers favoritism to members of the family. When the persons in the registration area observed the sign, it was removed. 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. Every president and governor names close associates to key cabinet positions. On the other hand, simply attending a private, unofficial event at which a few participants engage in racist conduct and at which such behavior is not the purpose of the event should not, in most circumstances, merit punishment for the employee who attends. Nor, as the initial news accounts suggested, was the Roundup dominated by federal law enforcement personnel. Moreover, we found Randall's claim to have found the "license" in a Roundup bathroom not to be credible. The good ole boy system doesn't payoff for law enforcement and now will be blamed, for some shitty decisions made in the first 24. Who let's your friends clean up?? If true and if committed by DOJ law enforcement officers, we would be confronted with very serious questions about the officers' fitness to serve, their ability to discharge their law enforcement duties, and their right to wear a federal badge. Share. However, we found no evidence linking DOJ employees to acts of public drunkenness, public lewdness, or any of the other sordid aspects of the Roundup in any specific or persistent way. Contrary to the media accounts of this incident, the black agents were not turned away from the Roundup. 4) provide further training on the role of federal law enforcement officers in our society and the reasons why it is critical for law enforcement personnel to be held to extremely exacting standards of conduct to earn and maintain the full confidence of all citizens. After conducting a comprehensive investigation of the Roundup from 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. When groupthink is present, big ideas get pushed down, shunned, or worst never shared with the group in the first place. Above all, be vigilant that the good old boys do not inhabit your workplace. The American Civil Service Act was passed in 1883 in large part because so many patronage jobs, down to dogcatcher, were being filled by people whose only qualification for employment was their support for a particular party or candidate. All told, our investigation took into account the statements of nearly 900 witnesses, including 560 who attended a Roundup. . The term originally referred to social and business connections among former pupils of male-only elite . Tweet. Despite reports that prostitutes were present during various Roundups, we found no evidence that anyone was solicited for prostitution or that sex was exchanged for money. The only identifying information we received was that an unspecified person from Ohio and another from Mississippi possessed one of these tapes. 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. Copyright 2023 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. In 1993, Hayward arrived at the campground with his car plastered with racially offensive and political materials. Youre seeing that problem right now with [FBI Director] Andy McCabe and the people there that moved up there and moved around quite fast, as opposed to having any female people, criminal investigators in those top ranks, she continued. Hayward, who made the videotape with the "checkpoint" sign and who in an affidavit submitted to the Senate Judiciary Committee claimed to have witnessed a broad array of racist acts at a number of the Roundups, refused for several months to cooperate with the OIG investigation, submit to an interview, or surrender the original videotape. Nonetheless, OIG expended considerable time, energy, and resources to determine as best we could what happened at the Roundup. Thus, DOJ participation in the Roundup was relatively insignificant both numerically and organizationally. 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. These good ole boys clubs have a range of consequences in the business world . 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. The display of the Confederate flag is a controversial matter. b) Randall's 1995 Allegations 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. [O]ur investigation revealed ample evidence of shocking racist, licentious, and puerile behavior by attendees occurring in various years. Nonetheless, OIG expended considerable time, energy, and resources to determine as best we could what happened at the Roundup. 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. Although Rightmyer again criticized the officer who performed this skit, he took no other action. Racist skits were performed in 1990 and 1992. 05-26-2005, 01:54 AM. However, the respective components may wish to consider counseling for some of their employee participants based on our findings. #3. Instead of promoting someone whose skills and abilities compliment your strengths and fills in your weaknesses you promote Bob. In 1985, an unidentified local deputy sheriff pulled a statue of a black figure, referred to as a "lawn jockey," out of his camper and tied his dog to it before being told to put it back in his camper. He works for the Missouri Department of Corrections and is currently a trainer. They were welcomed at the Roundup in multiple years. 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. Unfortunately, not asking clarifying questions is a significant issue facing many police organizations complicating opportunities for the management team to do its best work. 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." 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. 01-08-2001, 07:43 PM. Greater punishment could be warranted, therefore, if the behavior evidenced in this investigation is part of a pattern of documented racial insensitivity. We further believe that such regulation is wholly appropriate. 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. There are numbers of methods that can be used, from the "good ol' boy" system, to written tests, to assessment centers, or a mixture of all the above. LOUISVILLE, Ky. A Louisville Metro Police (LMPD) officer has filed a lawsuit claiming that LMPD is trying to hide bias, discrimination and nepotism in how it promotes officers to specialty assignments. 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. 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. Those incidents helped create and perpetuate a climate that was not welcoming towards African Americans, other minorities, or women. For more information about government ethics programs and resources contact John Pelissero. He refused to comply with any aspect of this subpoena. 7. Businesses with higher Q12 scores experience higher productivity, profitability, customer satisfaction, and less liability (Buckingham, 2011). 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. In 1992, T-shirts with a pocket drawn on the upper left of the shirt, a drawing of the head of the character Buckwheat from the old television show "Little Rascals," and the words "Good Ole Boys '92" written on the pocket were offered for sale by some unidentified person or persons. Seek out advice, if your world becomes too insular, it limits your creativity. ~ Georgina Chapman, Brian Ellis, Anthony H. Normore, & Mitch Javidi National Command and Staff College. Development opportunities go to the in crowd. We have the same advice for "good old boys" that we have for all employers - but we emphasize it more. (Government Executive Magazine, "Playing Favorites," by Brian Friel, October 2004). 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. This is particularly true in Southern states. 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). 4) provide further training on the role of federal law enforcement officers in our society and the reasons why it is critical for law enforcement personnel to be held to extremely exacting standards of conduct to earn and maintain the full confidence of all citizens. We will explore the seven types, what they are and look like. The group is given inside information and preferential treatment, ultimately leading to a pyramid scheme of corruption and incompetence. A problem arises, however, when a leader decides to sweep an issue under the rug. In the 1970s the percentage of women in law en-forcement was only at 2% (Price, 1996). Ultimately, the purported eyewitness recanted his claim. Our report describes many of the crude and disgusting incidents that were related to us during our interviews. The next day Rightmyer told the offenders that blacks were welcome at the Roundup and if they did not like it, they should leave. Both of these individuals are affectionately coddled and protected by at least one magistrate and two sitting U.S. District Court judges on the federal bench for the Northern District of Alabama. These standards apply to employees' off-duty conduct in addition to their conduct on the job. In one photo, a group surrounding the flag are shown making obscene gestures and raising their fists in a Nazi salute. First, the allegations of racist conduct contained in the initial media accounts and Congressional testimony were truly shocking. C. Findings Regarding General Allegations of Racist Every good leader should be looking for means to positively improve the unit, no matter how minor the change. 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. 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. To call a sheriff a part of the Good Ol' Boy network, I think is an injustice," Kemp said. As we have noted, we are forwarding information to the Director of the FBI for consideration of discipline against an FBI We have reported these not for their shock value but instead to give an accurate picture of what the Roundup was like. The good ole boy system. We want an investigation to stop the good ole boy law system in McKean County as well as the tyranny. Decisions that need to be made get kicked down the road and unpopular people no matter their competence have no voice. Will Leflore and Metro Council President David James worked with LMPD for 20 years. Harvard professor Barbara Kellerman has identified seven types of bad leaders, and by ignoring bad leadership people undermine good leadership (Johnson, 2012). Fired up or burned out: How to reignite your teams passion, creativity, and productivity. This investigation involved a murky and difficult area -- the responsibilities of federal employees generally, and federal law enforcement personnel in particular, to conduct themselves in a manner consistent with their law enforcement responsibilities even when they are off duty.