Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson. Despite evidence that the Roundup organizers officially discouraged such performances, their efforts to exercise control were half-hearted at best. Meeting the ethical challenges of leadership: Casting light or shadow. However, the respective components may wish to consider counseling for some of their employee participants based on our findings. This fact contributed substantially to the degeneration of the Roundup over the years from an innocuous open-air camping and recreational gathering into a playground for large numbers of the drunk, tasteless, and immature. 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. 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. In 1992, he left a pile of these materials at the registration desk, which the people at the desk promptly discarded. A third local resident made a vague and contradictory claim that marijuana was used in the campground during one unspecified Roundup. Intent and a "Whites-only" Policy. Based on our interviews of each of these witnesses, our conclusions regarding their credibility, and all the testimony of a number of credible witnesses, we concluded that none of these allegations were supported by substantial credible evidence. The person who observed the sign reported that it was gone within half an hour. DOJ regulations also prohibit employees from engaging in "disrespectful conduct." 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. 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. When several months later OIG requested that he submit to an interview on a range of topics including his supposed discovery of a "nigger hunting license" at the 1995 Roundup or the militia plan "Operation Achilles Heel," whose stated goal was to discredit ATF, Randall refused and renewed these threats in more graphic terms. When the organizers of the Roundup learned about the signs, they ordered the signs taken down. Our initial task was to identify DOJ employees who attended any of the Roundups. In the lawsuit, he says he applied for multiple positions within the department, but believes he was scored unfairly and was denied access to his interview files so he could review the decision. All rights reserved. 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 found no evidence that the invitations to the Roundup, either written or oral, made explicit references or even allusions to racial restrictions on attendance or that racist activities were available or welcome at the event. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. Verifying the allegations, therefore, required assessing the accuracy and reliability of testimony given by witnesses. This impacts the department in multiple ways such as: 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. In a number of years, but certainly in 1990 and 1992, Confederate flags were displayed at various locations in and around the Roundup campground. How can this not be a 'Good Ole Boy' system issue along with Judges being appointed by these same legislators. The preponderance of the evidence suggested that local police officers from Florence and Boone County, Kentucky, were responsible for posting these signs. People that are bringing people up in rank based on personal relationship, Gritz told Hill. It also makes us highly skeptical of anyone new coming in. 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 . These standards apply to employees' off-duty conduct in addition to their conduct on the job. Extra effort was made to take the report beyond simply a conclusion that, "It wasn't one of ours." Favoritism, cronyism, and nepotism all interfere with fairness because they give undue advantage to someone who does not necessarily merit this treatment. Worst yet are those organizations that seek improvement in this area and bring in another person to fix, who ultimately repeats the same thing in the attempt of changing the organization. In the change process, the new leader creates more of the same, as the only thing that changes are the players, not the game (Katzenbach, Steffen, & Kronley, 2012). Download the WHAS11 News app now. Former FBI agent Robyn Gritz said on Wednesday that there was a "good old boys" club within the premier U.S. law enforcement agencies after the Department of Justice released a report. The public drunkenness began far earlier and was a reason cited by many DOJ employees and others for not returning to the Roundup. A widely-publicized excerpt from a home video allegedly filmed at a Roundup showed a sign that read, "Nigger check point." In the lawsuit, Officer Philip Satterthwaite claims that LMPD officials promoted friends and family . 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. This article is part four of a seven-part series, illuminating light on the seven errors of leadership behaviors. All rights reserved. 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. Will Leflore and Metro Council President David James worked with LMPD for 20 years.
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. 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. 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.
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. New York, NY: Random House. In practice, these should give an accurate and fair assessment of a unit. For more information about government ethics programs and resources contact John Pelissero. That database shows that there have been 429 fatal officer . A future Roundup president and Richard Hayward can be readily identified in the photo. His component, however, must assess this conduct in light of the employee's history.
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. Through these efforts, OIG identified nearly 1400 persons who attended the Roundup between 1980 and 1995. 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. Have a news tip? 2. 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. On two occasions the Redneck of the Year contest contained blatantly racist material. 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. 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. 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.
If someone is accused of wrongdoing, its up to a jury of their peers to determine their fate.
Accordingly, we recommend that the Department of Justice do the following:
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. If we were able to do away with the "club" morale and job satisfaction would greatly increase.
A future Roundup president and Hayward can be readily identified. Also, "a Fort Lauderdale, Florida police officer competing in the Redneck of the Year contest performed a skit where he claimed to have found a watermelon which had fallen off the back of a passing truck, struck it until it broke open, and then pulled out a doll he had painted black. As favoritism is the broadest of these related terms, we'll start with its definition. 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. 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. 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. 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. Ultimately, the purported eyewitness recanted his claim. Even where we developed substantial evidence that acts of misconduct took place, we have not in every case been able to identify who was responsible, despite determined efforts to do so. He eventually evened out at FCC, a level 3/4 facility. Frank Booth. 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 that the invitations to the Roundup, either written or oral, made explicit references or even allusions to racial restrictions on attendance or that racist activities were available or welcome at the event. For 1989, we received numerous allegations of racist conduct, most of which were made by Richard Hayward. Troops do conduct evaluations of their superiors that get sent higher on the chain of command. Nor, as the initial news accounts suggested, was the Roundup dominated by federal law enforcement personnel. But the inquiry is, by necessity, highly fact-specific. These men and women have been the . When there is a more formal approach to succession planning, departments usually build more buy-in and elicit better work outputs from people. That creates a unique bond regardless of your personal relationship with someone. 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. Georgia sheriffs supporting Gov. In its Report, the OIG made many findings, including the following: 1. Gritz also highlighted that the report said 43 percent of female criminal investigators experienced a form of gender discrimination of the past four years. Once Hayward and Randall's allegations were made public, one former and several current black ATF agents made allegations that the Roundup was a "whites-only" event and that no black agents had ever been invited to attend. Other attendees intervened and broke up the confrontation. Do Jobs Prevent Or Deter Incarcerations? 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. Other isolated but nevertheless significant evidence of racially offensive or insensitive conduct occurred in a number of years. 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. Here's what I am working up to: it's been mentioned in many articles. Trying to play by the rules under that leader is impossible. 2. Who knows if they will have our back when the time comes? What ethical dilemmas do favoritism, cronyism, and nepotism present. 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. 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 are proud of the support we have from Democrat and Republican sheriffs. It continues until the supervising officers are all friends, relatives, etc. Also, because favoritism is often covert (few elected officials are foolish enough to show open partiality to friends, and family), this practice undercuts the transparency that should be part of governmental hiring and contracting processes. 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. 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. Tweet. Moreover, we found Randall's claim to have found the "license" in a Roundup bathroom not to be credible. He also alleged that ATF agents surrounded cars entering the campground and shouted, "Got any niggers in that car?" A future Roundup president and Hayward can be readily identified. August 2, 2020. 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. Those incidents helped create and perpetuate a climate that was not welcoming towards African Americans, other minorities, or women. In the public sphere, favoritism, cronyism, and nepotism also undermine the common good. And no DOJ employee was ever elected to be president or vice-president of the Roundup. Over time, when you copy an image repeatedly, the pixilation becomes distorted, and over time its not a useful quality image worth printing. For example, in Birmingham, Alabama, two closeted individuals closely associated with the Skinhead movement are firmly entrenched in the U.S. Attorney's Office. 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 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. Those who are insular limit the abilities of work engagement and limiting an organizations true potential. II. In 1991, officers from the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, D.C. brought to the Roundup shirts that depicted three police officers around a police car and two persons being held face down on the hood of the car. 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.
Unlimited access to beer twenty-four hours a day led to extreme drunkenness. We were unable to establish how long this conduct lasted or how many people may have been involved in it. To complicate issues even more, when groupthink is rampant, police organizations begin relying on successful implementations from the past that may no longer be relevant or produce the greatest yield for the department; but because it worked before, it stands to reason that it should be an acceptable means for today. When the organizers learned about it, they covered over the graffiti. We were unable to establish how long this conduct lasted or how many people may have been involved in it. DOJ regulations also prohibit employees from engaging in "disrespectful conduct." Over 900 people were interviewed and statementized in connection with the OIG investigation. Our investigative and interviewing strategy was designed to get beyond potentially self-serving accounts. 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. 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. And everyone can point to instances where cronyism or nepotism is an accepted fact of life in political sphere, as well. Our investigation found that DOJ employees played a minor role in the official activities and organization of the Roundup. 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. Also, the appearance of favoritism weakens morale in government service, not to mention public faith in the integrity of government. e) Hayward's White Supremacist Literature
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
Maybe they'll freeze, or run away. Finally in October he relinquished the videotape for analysis by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and agreed to an on-the-record interview. agent and to the applicable Department of Treasury component for one of its employees who used to be employed by DOJ. First, performance needs to be a centerpiece of promotability factors. 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.
Personal written invitations were sent only to those who had previously registered for a Roundup. One of the Senate affiants alleged that during the 1990 Roundup a "drug enforcement officer" offered her some unspecified drugs in Grumpy's, a bar adjacent to the campground that was frequented by many Roundup attendees. 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. Our initial task was to identify DOJ employees who attended any of the Roundups. Friends and family can usually be counted on for loyalty, and officeholders are in a good position to know their strengths. b) Checking Cars
These signs read, "Nigger check point," "Any niggers in that car?," and "17 lb."
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. Moreover, we found Randall's claim to have found the "license" in a Roundup bathroom not to be credible. 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.