Jails officially provide a side to the story

Lydon said when he was told on May 29 that Chauvin would soon arrive at prison, he made the decision to reassign corrective officers to other posts, according to a statement given by the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office.

Chauvin, who is white, and another officer knelt at Floyd, a black man, during an arrest in Minneapolis. Floyd’s death and the arrest of observers’ video releases sparked protests across the nation.

“Acknowledging that the murder of George Floyd is likely to create acute racial trauma, I feel I have a direct duty to protect and support employees who might be traumatized and possibly increase ongoing trauma by having to deal with Chauvin,” Lydon said.

“Because of caution and care, and without the convenience of time, I made the decision to limit the exposure of colored employees to a murder suspect who has the potential to exacerbate those feelings.”

Lydon said he reversed his decision with time.

“Shortly after making a decision, the Corrections staff expressed concern with the change and within 45 minutes I realized my mistake and reversed the order,” he said.

“I then met the people who were working at the time and explained to them what my thinking process was at the time and convinced them that the decision was made out of concern for them and had absolutely no connection to concerns about their professionalism or Chauvin’s security. ”

“I realize that I was wrong in my assessment and issued an apology to the affected employee.”

In a statement, the officer’s lawyer, Bonnie Smith, said the change had come too late. “At that time the damage was done. Shift was moved and at least one color officer assigned to the 5th floor over the weekend was moved to another floor for the duration of Chauvin’s detention in prison.”

According to a statement from the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office, Lydon’s job was modified while Sheriff Bill Fletcher reviewed the situation to find out if additional action was needed.

Chauvin was charged by prosecutors with second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree murder because of his alleged role in Floyd’s death on May 25.

Officers seek compensation for emotional distress

Minnesota Department of Human Rights Communications Director Taylor Putz told CNN that state law does not allow organizations to release charges of discrimination or other information about a case until the case is closed.

Furthermore, Putz said the Department had not closed the case and could not comment.

Officers in legal action identify themselves as African American, Hispanic, Pacific Islander American or mixed race.

They demand steps taken to overcome to ensure that discriminatory behavior never happens again at the Ramsey County Adult Detention Center as well as compensation for emotional distress and lost income, said Smith’s statement.

Smith said one of his clients was suspended amid Chauvin’s order and said he would not bring Chauvin to his unit, Smith said in the statement.

Another officer said the colored correctional officer was notified in the middle of responding to an emergency call that they would not be allowed to complete the emergency protocol until the white officers arrived, because it involved going to the fifth floor, Smith said.

“The Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office separates hard-working employees whose color is far from famous prisoners simply because of their skin color,” Smith said in the statement. “Sorting out employees based on their race and color is very degrading and embarrassing, not to mention illegal. These correctional officers come to work every day to maintain the safety of our community and work decisions must be made based on their performance, not their skin color.”