It is the 21st century. 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 cling to old traditions and practices. The next day Rightmyer told the offenders that blacks were welcome at the Roundup and if they did not like it, they should leave. We could not escape making judgments concerning their credibility. This failure, together with the availability of massive amounts of alcohol, no doubt contributed to the recurrence of such incidents. 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. While these practices are intended to strengthen us as a whole and weed out the untrustworthy, it actually does the opposite. He eventually parked his car off to the side, removed the offensive clothing, and was permitted to enter. Inmates who seem to threaten law suits and or . 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. We are rapidly heading into 2015. Remarkably, we found no one in attendance who appeared to be offended by such activity or who sought to curb it. We determined, however, that because the Roundup campground was not isolated or well-secured, it was ill-suited for secretive racist gatherings. Brian earned his undergraduate degree in Criminal Justice from California State, Sacramento and has a MS in Organizational Leadership from National University. Findings Regarding Specific Racist Misconduct. "The days of the 'good ole boy' system are over where we now need to . Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarlycommons.law.wlu.edu/crsj Part of the Civil Rights and Discrimination Commons, Human Rights Law Commons, and the Law Enforcement and Corrections Commons Recommended Citation Kami Chavis Simmons, Beginning to End Racial Profiling: Definitive Solutions to an Elusive Problem, 18 He left the Roundup a few hours later. His component, however, must assess this conduct in light of the employee's history. 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. 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. We found substantial evidence that the campground was a hostile environment for women especially in the later years of the Roundup. Instead, it is working for those in power, which crushes ongoing momentum efforts. 2. (2014). 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 investigation established that DOJ employees had quite diverse experiences at the Roundup. These people are so bitter that they spend most trying to screw over each other in order to make themselves feel better. We found no evidence that any racial restrictions, either explicit or implicit, were placed on the distribution of these invitations. The OIG Investigation At least 10 percent of the attendees had federal law enforcement affiliations. Contrary to the media accounts of this incident, the black agents were not turned away from the Roundup. "Clearly, LMPDs current solution to diversity issues is increasing the number of Black Officers, rather than giving them and all Officers an equal opportunity of advancement," a summary of the lawsuit says. Logically speaking, the first troop should get a higher award than the second. 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. Moreover, OIG interviewed residents in the area near where the Roundup was held to learn what relevant evidence they might possess. Thus, whether intended or not, the Roundup was in fact predominantly a gathering of whites. But the inquiry is, by necessity, highly fact-specific. The Palmetto Sleuth - Conflict of Interest-State Legislators Who Create An old boy network (also known as old boys' network, ol' boys' club, old boys' club, old boys' society, good ol' boys club, or good ol' boys system) is an informal system in which wealthy men with similar social or educational background help each other in business or personal matters. The signs were removed and destroyed. However, too often these are disregarded because superiors are told things are fine by the sycophants. 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. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2012/07/cultural-change-that-sticks, Lee, A. This impacts the department in multiple ways such as: Information identifies important training information, interacts with each other and Also the more difficult it is to prove yourself. Twenty-three of the forty-four DOJ employees attended only one Roundup; eight more went only twice. Others witnessed or heard enough that they showed poor judgment in not taking appropriate steps to satisfy themselves that the objectionable conduct would not recur. First, the allegations of racist conduct contained in the initial media accounts and Congressional testimony were truly shocking. #3. f) T-shirts A third local resident made a vague and contradictory claim that marijuana was used in the campground during one unspecified Roundup. We believe we have developed a fair and accurate picture of what occurred. Maintain a fair and consistent workplace; employees who feel that they are treated fairly and respectfully are less likely to complain or sue. We found no information as to who was responsible for this sign. During this 16-year period, only 4 black law enforcement agents ever attempted to attend the Roundup. We were unable to establish how long this conduct lasted or how many people may have been involved in it. Under applicable precedents, DOJ employees could be punished if they were found to have directly engaged in racist acts even while off duty. 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. Favoritism, Cronyism, and Nepotism - Markkula Center for Applied Ethics 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. In 1992, two different signs were displayed at the campground. I define the Good Ole Boy System as people who get promoted (or get a job) based off their relationships, rather than past performance, qualifications and job . researches product purchases and suppliers. Now you are bringing niggers to the Roundup." In insular environments, when ambiguous issues arise in meetings, there is a lack of questions that limit learning and understanding. 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. 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. According to the lawsuit, Satterthwaite says he was not given any explanation as to why he was being surveyed. Beyond that, we build the best commitments from people being in the know and empowering them with information to help them do their jobs better. Most agencies that employ such tactics ultimately end up with a sub-par employee energy level, providing little more to the public they serve than the status quo. Our investigative and interviewing strategy was designed to get beyond potentially self-serving accounts. Many DOJ employees believe that what they do off duty is their business and not a proper concern of their employer. Unfortunately, not asking clarifying questions is a significant issue facing many police organizations complicating opportunities for the management team to do its best work. Thus, whether intended or not, the Roundup was in fact predominantly a gathering of whites. In any event, no one was punished for posting them. In the public sphere, favoritism, cronyism, and nepotism also undermine the common good. The law is clear and yet, somehow, different troops arent held to the same standard for the same crimes. We believe that such off-duty responsibilities are not well-understood by many DOJ employees. 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. From our careful review of the evidence as to the specific allegations of racist misconduct, we found substantial credible evidence of blatantly racist signs, skits, and actions in 1990, 1992, and 1995. An important part of the climate was established by the availability of unlimited amounts of alcohol. Maintaining a "Good Ol' Boys" Environment Is A Sure Way To Get Sued People that are bringing people up in rank based on personal relationship, Gritz told Hill. Solely on our findings, an appropriate sanction would be a reprimand, either written or oral. This is particularly true in Southern states. 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. 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. It continues until the supervising officers are all friends, relatives, etc. August 2, 2020. OIG received no allegations and found no evidence that any DOJ property was used to support the Roundup. When friendships or subjective issues are focal points of promotions it sends an organizational message that the pathway for advancement is not working hard. Based on our review of the statements of over 150 attendees at the 1989 Roundup and our credibility determinations regarding the various witnesses, we concluded that no racist sign or effigy was displayed at the registration desk for any portion of the 1989 Roundup and that the claim that ATF agents were "checking cars for niggers," although similar to conduct reported in other years, is unsubstantiated. Insular environments are also the breeding ground of fear-based cultures. 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. 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. 05-26-2005, 01:54 AM. It also makes us highly skeptical of anyone new coming in. In the early years a contest called the Beer Enduro took place, requiring participants to drink a specified quantity of beer at regular intervals. For 1995, Randall contended that "nigger hunting licenses" were openly available on the Roundup campground. A number of police organizations, both big and small have dealt with the good ole boy system (Lee, 2014). 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.". Rightmyer also announced generally that everyone in law enforcement was welcome at the Roundup, and those who disagreed should leave. 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. Nonetheless, OIG expended considerable time, energy, and resources to determine as best we could what happened at the Roundup. 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. 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. 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. T-shirts were sold at the Roundup that were found to be racially insensitive. Contact Mike for services Life Coaching, Training, Team Building, Corporate Training, Project Management, and Public Speaking Favoritism has always been a complaint in government service. 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. 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. RELATED: A councilwoman's 'road map' to equity in Louisville. In addition to charges of racism, allegations of criminal or other misconduct were also raised. Nevertheless, because the investigation established some episodes of egregious racist conduct in certain years, we tried to determine which DOJ employees attended the Roundup in those years, and whether they participated in or encouraged such conduct. Creativity Inc: Overcoming the unseen forces that stand in the way of true inspiration. The Report documented widespread federal, state, and local law enforcement abuse of black leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, and other civil rights activists who protested in the 1950s, 60s and 70s for equal rights, fair justice, and voting rights in America. 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. What do favoritism, cronyism, and nepotism have to do with ethics? We had a responsibility to set the record straight as to what actually occurred at the Roundup during a sixteen-year period. The term originally referred to social and business connections among former pupils of male-only elite . That same day several of the Fort Lauderdale officers left the Roundup. 1 . 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. PDF Women in Policing - West Texas A&M University The women dancers were strippers. 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. We have reported these not for their shock value but instead to give an accurate picture of what the Roundup was like. "There is definitely a system of the good ole boy system that takes place," James said. 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. Although Rightmyer again criticized the officer who performed this skit, he took no other action. In addition to charges of racism, allegations of criminal or other misconduct were also raised. ", 4. A widely-publicized excerpt from a home video allegedly filmed at a Roundup showed a sign that read, "Nigger check point." Op/Ed: Police Stops Are Dangerous. b) Checking Cars [P]ublic nudity was commonplace at various Roundups [with] women dancers, women baring their chests, [and] a retired officer exposing himself with his badge displayed on his penis. One witness also recalled that Hayward was wearing a Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. mask with a bullet hole in the forehead. We chase off and scare off new officers before they can grasp even the basics of our profession. We believe that such off-duty responsibilities are not well-understood by many DOJ employees. b) Randall's 1995 Allegations Apparently, the same concern and solicitude did not extend to the relatively few female law enforcement personnel who went to a Roundup. Hayward and his attorney terminated the interview shortly after the questioning turned to Hayward's own white supremacist views and activities. All the latest Law Enforcement Today news, updates and alerts delivered straight to your phone or inbox. A third local resident made a vague and contradictory claim that marijuana was used in the campground during one unspecified Roundup. 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. In 2020, 21 rapes and/or sexual assaults were reported to Bryan County law . Many fell somewhere in between. ForAppleorAndroidusers. Brian Ellis is a 20-year veteran of the Sacramento Police Department. And although we were able to identify more who had been invited to attend, most chose not to -- some merely because the name and location suggested to them that they would not be welcome there. Cronyism occurs within a network of insiders-the "good ol' boys," who confer favors on one another. The preponderance of the evidence suggested that local police officers from Florence and Boone County, Kentucky, were responsible for posting these signs. 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. These individuals no longer use the term "nigger" in racially mixed company, but they freely use this derogatory term while relaxing and socializing in intimate settings with all-white friends and family members. The person who observed the sign reported that it was gone within half an hour. This agency, is the worst "law enforcement" agency I've worked for. When the organizers learned about it, they covered over the graffiti. On two occasions the Redneck of the Year contest contained blatantly racist material. 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. However, in an investigation that examined events occurring over a sixteen-year period and involving well in excess of 1,000 participants, we cannot be sure that we have uncovered every objectionable incident. This group of participants affiliated with DOJ constitutes approximately three percent of the estimated total number of attendees at the sixteen 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. 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.
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