Make it easy to keep up-to-date with more stories like this. As favoritism is the broadest of these related terms, we'll start with its definition. 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. Another aspect of this system affects promotions and post assignments. A problem arises, however, when a leader decides to sweep an issue under the rug. Although not raised initially as allegations, OIG found substantial credible evidence of rampant alcohol abuse and extreme cases of juvenile and shocking behavior. 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. Near these signs, and also visible in the video, was a drawing of a likeness of an African American with a circle around it and a red slash across the circle. A widely-publicized excerpt from a home video allegedly filmed at a Roundup showed a sign that read, "Nigger check point." We hope that our effort to deal fully and carefully with disturbing allegations against officers responsible for enforcing our federal criminal laws will promote the fair administration of justice and the public's confidence in the ability of the Department of Justice to police itself. He left the Roundup a few hours later. Nonetheless, OIG expended considerable time, energy, and resources to determine as best we could what happened at the Roundup. Many police organizations have faced this lopsided leadership option (McMillin, 1999). Compounding the frustration is that these small groups of in-players are loyal to each other to the core, even when one of their members is incompetent. 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). Maintain a fair and consistent workplace; employees who feel that they are treated fairly and respectfully are less likely to complain or sue. Blaming these people for the sins of others would have been unfair. Who knows if they will have our back when the time comes? Likewise, no federal, state, or local law enforcement agent was fired because of his participation in the Roundups. 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. Without these examples, the texture of the event could not be adequately communicated. The preponderance of the evidence suggested that local police officers from Florence and Boone County, Kentucky, were responsible for posting these signs. They are here you know. Copyright 2023 Most people of interracial goodwill have never heard of Gene Rightmyer, the former Knoxville, Tennessee-based ATF agent who organized and led the Good Ol' Boys Roundup (Roundup) from 1980 through 1995. First, performance needs to be a centerpiece of promotability factors. This failure, together with the availability of massive amounts of alcohol, no doubt contributed to the recurrence of such incidents. Other substantiated allegations, such as the playing of games for monetary stakes and the consumption in isolated instances of moonshine, are addressed fully in the report. 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. Hayward was told he could not enter the campground unless all of these materials were removed. This creates a multitude of problems. First, the allegations of racist conduct contained in the initial media accounts and Congressional testimony were truly shocking. 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. 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.
Op/Ed: Employment And Crime. Nor, as the initial news accounts suggested, was the Roundup dominated by federal law enforcement personnel. 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." The OIG report contains a summary of our findings with respect to these and all other DOJ employees who attended. The term originally referred to social and business connections among former pupils of male-only elite . Randall was served with an OIG administrative subpoena for photographs of the Roundup and the original videotape, which Hayward had turned over to him. Second, although our primary task was to assess the allegations of racism as they reflected on DOJ employees, we learned that the Roundup in fact had been marred by a number of serious and disturbing incidents of racial and other kinds of misconduct. In practice, these should give an accurate and fair assessment of a unit. Friends and family can usually be counted on for loyalty, and officeholders are in a good position to know their strengths. 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. New York, NY: Random House. Above all, be vigilant that the good old boys do not inhabit your workplace. 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.". Officers from Cobb County, Georgia, brought a similar shirt. 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. 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. 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. The Uniform Code of Military Justice is very clear. An exhaustive investigation and a full report of the Good O' Boy Roundup was important for several reasons. 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. 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. This failure, together with the availability of massive amounts of alcohol, no doubt contributed to the recurrence of such incidents. DOJ regulations also prohibit employees from engaging in "disrespectful conduct." Dallas Police Association president calls for end of 'good ole boy' system of promoting officers to top ranks By Scott Goldstein 11:34 AM on May 14, 2012 CDT Dallas police leaders have been. 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. Because of the historical connections between similar sites and racist activities, these agents attributed racist intentions to the Roundup due simply to its location. 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." Being a federal law enforcement officer within the Department of Justice is a privilege not a right; it can appropriately be conditioned on maintaining a proper level of behavior at all times. On two occasions the Redneck of the Year contest contained blatantly racist material. 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. Some witnesses we found to be extremely credible; others to be wholly incredible. Both nepotism and cronyism are often at work when political parties recruit candidates for public office. This is evident in circumstances where internal gossip runs rampant and everyone plays by a different set of rules; where peers are unwilling to share information and politics control all decisions, ultimately leading to a lack of internal transparency. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) regulations prohibit federal employees from engaging in "criminal, infamous, dishonest, immoral, or notoriously disgraceful conduct prejudicial to the government." Thirty-six were DOJ employees when they attended; eight went prior to becoming DOJ employees. 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. 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. DOJ regulations also prohibit employees from engaging in "disrespectful conduct." Another Ocoee area resident claimed he had requested and been handed some cocaine powder while in the campground during a Roundup in the late 1980s. 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. This attention may have affected community differences such as law enforcement priorities if some agencies were focusing more on drug use than on domestic violence. 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. When the persons in the registration area observed the sign, it was removed. Our report describes many of the crude and disgusting incidents that were related to us during our interviews. Emailassign@whas11.com, visit ourFacebook pageorTwitter feed. We had a responsibility to set the record straight as to what actually occurred at the Roundup during a sixteen-year period. They were welcomed at the Roundup in multiple years. 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. 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. Los Angeles, CA: Sage Publications. 1 . Remarkably, we found no one in attendance who appeared to be offended by such activity or who sought to curb it. After these events, Satterthwaite filed a PSU complaint. Taunting the ATF agent about the presence of the two blacks, one of the Fort Lauderdale officers stated, "ATF fucks up everything they touch. The good ol boy system is when a leader unabashedly chooses favorites among their subordinates. 8. Inmates who seem to threaten law suits and or . The other women who were baring their breasts were consensual sex partners for single and married agents. He was going for another term, his fifth, and as the . Finally, public nudity was commonplace at various Roundups. Brian Ellis is a 20-year veteran of the Sacramento Police Department. He eventually parked his car off to the side, removed the offensive clothing, and was permitted to enter. 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. The good ole boy system is a haven for groupthink, as the more group-focused the leadership team becomes, the less people are thinking and/or challenging each other. 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. After the transition, Satterthwaite alleges that he was directed to change his focus from making cultural changes within the department to recruiting more Black officers from the community. James retired as an LMPD officer in 2003. He eventually evened out at FCC, a level 3/4 facility. Because of the lack of controls placed on the distribution of fliers once they reached particular offices, the extent to which they were brought to the attention of the agents in these offices varied. Frank Booth. We also found no evidence that any DOJ employees attended the Roundup without taking appropriate leave. The "good ol' boy" system is when a leader unabashedly chooses favorites among their subordinates. Another Ocoee area resident claimed he had requested and been handed some cocaine powder while in the campground during a Roundup in the late 1980s. 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. 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. 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. The person who observed the sign reported that it was gone within half an hour. In their affidavits to the Senate, the two Ocoee women claimed to have heard that a woman was gang-raped by a large number of Roundup participants. 2. All told, our investigation took into account the statements of nearly 900 witnesses, including 560 who attended a Roundup. We found evidence of the unofficial sale of T-shirts during several Roundups that some persons found to be racially insensitive. We have reported these not for their shock value but instead to give an accurate picture of what the Roundup was like. In any event, no one was punished for posting them. No DOJ employee ever won Redneck of the Year, Ugliest Good O' Boy, Liar's Contest, or Beer Enduro competitions. 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. 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. These allegations also threatened to taint the public reputation of the agencies that employed these agents. Moreover, OIG interviewed residents in the area near where the Roundup was held to learn what relevant evidence they might possess. Overall, OIG interviewed large numbers of people who attended the Roundup, particularly in those years for which there were extremely serious allegations of racist and other misconduct. A third local resident made a vague and contradictory claim that marijuana was used in the campground during one unspecified Roundup. Personal written invitations were sent only to those who had previously registered for a Roundup.
A. DOJ Participation
The preponderance of the evidence suggested that local police officers from Florence and Boone County, Kentucky, were responsible for posting these signs. 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. RELATED: 'We have another study that tells us what we already know' | Black Louisvillians react to LMPD review. 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. In 1992, two different signs were displayed at the campground. 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. 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. Racist skits were performed in 1990 and 1992. 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. Ultimately, the purported eyewitness recanted his claim. That creates a unique bond regardless of your personal relationship with someone. 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. The phrase used by the persons engaged in the activity was 'checking cars for niggers'. In 1993, Hayward arrived at the campground with his car plastered with racially offensive and political materials. E. OIG Recommendations
I find it amazing that our job mandate is firm, fair, and consistent, yet when it comes to other staff we don't even come close to that standard. While we conclude that the organizers did not specifically intend for the Roundup to be a "whites-only" racist gathering, we were able to identify only twenty individual members of minority groups, including four blacks, who ever attended a Roundup. III. In 1993, Hayward arrived at the campground with his car plastered with racially offensive and political materials. We believe that such off-duty responsibilities are not well-understood by many DOJ employees. What ethical dilemmas do favoritism, cronyism, and nepotism present? 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. Favoritism has always been a complaint in government service. He is adept in several forms of martial arts, including Kenpo Karate, Tae Kwon Do, and various grappling styles. 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. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. 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. Over time, when you copy an image repeatedly, the pixilation becomes distorted, and over time its not a useful quality image worth printing. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. He left the Roundup a few hours later. . Personal written invitations were sent only to those who had previously registered for a Roundup. 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. In our view, this employee demonstrated poor judgment that falls below applicable standards because he attended the Roundup after knowing of racist incidents at the event and his other actions evinced a toleration for, and encouragement of, such racist behavior.
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.". Indeed, by 1990, law enforcement officers -- federal, state, and local -- were outnumbered by participants who had no such affiliation. This woman denied that she was raped. The phrase used by the persons engaged in the activity was "checking cars for niggers." 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.
Roundup's Racism in the Law enforcement Community Never Died. This woman denied that she was raped. by Bob Adelmann June 23, 2014. We conclude that the name "Good O' Boy" was not selected or used with the intent to send a message that the event was racially exclusive.
Hayward videotaped the 1990 Roundup.
For a period of time substantial effort was made to see who could be the most vile and disgusting. We hope that our effort to deal fully and carefully with disturbing allegations against officers responsible for enforcing our federal criminal laws will promote the fair administration of justice and the public's confidence in the ability of the Department of Justice to police itself. Racists Vandalized LeBrons Los Angeles Home. Near these signs, and also visible in the video, was a drawing of a likeness of an African American with a circle around it and a red slash across the circle. In 2001 the National Center for Women If someone is accused of wrongdoing, its up to a jury of their peers to determine their fate. Maintaining a healthy skepticism of your own thoughts and ideas leads to a growth mindset.
Buckingham, M. (2011). When he believed that OIG intended to seek court enforcement of the subpoena he publicly threatened bloodshed. The first issue is competence. In 1992, two different signs were displayed at the campground. These invitations were distributed to law enforcement agencies in the Southeast, where they were posted on bulletin boards, announced generally, or handed out to those who were interested. In addition to Roundup participants, OIG made significant efforts to interview the persons who alleged misconduct against the Roundup and its participants. 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. Insular leaders draw a clear boundary between those in the group and those seen as outsiders (Johnson, 2012). They hire people from Africa, who barley speak or understand English. Download the WHAS11 News app now. #8. PHOTO: An example of the racist paraphernalia sold at this event. We cling to old traditions and practices. We found substantial evidence that the campground was a hostile environment for women especially in the later years of the Roundup. Being a federal law enforcement officer within the Department of Justice is a privilege not a right; it can appropriately be conditioned on maintaining a proper level of behavior at all times. T-shirts were sold at the Roundup that were found to be racially insensitive. In a fear-based culture, people consciously and unconsciously avoid risk and being risk adverse costs the organization limited opportunities for innovation as well as an overall environment where new ideas are rejected (Catmull, 2014).