Golfing partners, people who come over for Sunday dinner, members of the same congregation all are likely to exert a greater influence over an official than a stranger might. Although our investigation established that the Roundup was nothing like a "Klan rally," the fact that specific acts of racist misconduct occurred in three different years made more difficult our assessment of the general charge that the Roundup had a "whites-only" attendance policy. In July 1995, national attention focused suddenly on an annual private gathering in southeastern Tennessee known as the "Good O' Boy Roundup" (Roundup). 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 rules are not universal in a police organization, it becomes very difficult to keep everyone playing by them. Extremely demeaning language and inappropriate sexual touching occurred. We found no evidence that anyone complained about such displays or that any action was taken to remove them. 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. Insular is a road to not knowing what you should already know, and as a result not allowing your organization to fulfill its highest potential. They hire people from Africa, who barley speak or understand English. In the public sphere, favoritism, cronyism, and nepotism also undermine the common good. These allegations also threatened to taint the public reputation of the agencies that employed these agents. 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. We found no information to identify who was responsible for this sign. C. Findings Regarding General Allegations of Racist Such conduct included playing music with racist lyrics at campsites; wearing, trading, and selling T-shirts with racially insensitive messages; telling racially offensive jokes during official competitions; and, in the context of particular facts found, displaying Confederate flags. Extremely gratifying reveal of the "good ole boy " system coming to light in this cold, calculating, criminal murder #Murdaugh trial. Instead, they share the group's racial beliefs system. August 2, 2020. Share. He contended that racist signs and an effigy of a black person were displayed at the registration desk for the entire Roundup. Coming from the Italian word for nephew, it covers favoritism to members of the family. An important part of the climate was established by the availability of unlimited amounts of alcohol. When these allegations were first made public, the public criticism was broad and harsh. But the inquiry is, by necessity, highly fact-specific. Have a news tip? We found evidence of the unofficial sale of T-shirts during several Roundups that some persons found to be racially insensitive. Self-censorship: People avoid deviating from the norms of the group and would rather fit in over having a better answer. He eventually parked his car off to the side, removed the offensive clothing, and was permitted to enter. Collaborative environments are incubators for good ideas to occur. Cronyism occurs within a network of insiders-the "good ol' boys," who confer favors on one another. He says wonderful comforting things to the public, words that make the street deputies get goose bumps and feel all warm and fuzzy inside. 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. 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. Furthermore, because of their duty to fairly investigate and prosecute violations of the law, DOJ law enforcement officers are held to even stricter application of these standards of conduct. We found no information as to who was responsible for this sign. 4thEdition. In 1992, 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. . Op/Ed: Police Stops Are Dangerous. Favoritism has always been a complaint in government service. 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. Rules are paramount to maintaining order and uniformity in the military. In 1993, Hayward arrived at the campground with his car plastered with racially offensive and political materials. These allegations also threatened to taint the public reputation of the agencies that employed these agents. For 1995, Randall contended that "nigger hunting licenses" were openly available on the Roundup campground. Blaming these people for the sins of others would have been unfair. 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. The preponderance of the evidence suggested that local police officers from Florence and Boone County, Kentucky, were responsible for posting these signs. Greater punishment could be warranted, therefore, if the behavior evidenced in this investigation is part of a pattern of documented racial insensitivity. D. Findings Regarding Other Misconduct 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 the lawsuit, Officer Philip Satterthwaite claims that LMPD officials promoted friends and family . Cronyism is a more specific form of favoritism, referring to partiality towards friends and associates. 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. We also found substantial credible evidence of racially insensitive conduct in 1985, 1987, 1989, and 1993. Officers from Cobb County, Georgia, brought a similar shirt. #TheGoodOleBoy - Twitter Search / Twitter Katzenbach, J., Steffen, I., & Kronley, C. (2012). He refused to comply with any aspect of this subpoena. Scratch my back, Ill scratch yours 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. Finally in October he relinquished the videotape for analysis by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and agreed to an on-the-record interview. 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. 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; They also bring this up in the report, the club the good old boys club. Intent and a "Whites-only" Policy. Satterthwaite says he and Chief Chavous uncovered several issues of discrimination and bias within the department that, he says, mirror the results of the Hillard Heintz internal investigation. The other women who were baring their breasts were consensual sex partners for single and married agents. A. DOJ Participation OIG investigated these allegations and concluded that none of the claims that a woman was raped at a Roundup were supported by the evidence. It also makes us highly skeptical of anyone new coming in. Maintaining a "Good Ol' Boys" Environment Is A Sure Way To Get Sued OIG received no allegations and found no evidence that any DOJ property was used to support the Roundup. DOJ regulations also prohibit employees from engaging in "disrespectful conduct." The Interview: Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez - The Texas Observer Finally, leaders build momentum by connecting with as many people as possible; thus building opportunities for everyone and more importantly connection. PHOTO: An example of the racist paraphernalia sold at this event. 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. People that are bringing people up in rank based on personal relationship, Gritz told Hill. 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. 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. That creates a unique bond regardless of your personal relationship with someone. 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. This woman denied that she was raped. 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. Substantiated Allegations Other isolated but nevertheless significant evidence of racially offensive or insensitive conduct occurred in a number of years. A future Roundup president and Hayward can be readily identified. We found no evidence that any racial restrictions, either explicit or implicit, were placed on the distribution of these invitations. 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. The term originally referred to social and business connections among former pupils of male-only elite . Connections and concessions are made at power lunches, at the sports bar, at the country club, or on the golf course. 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. 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. We were unable to establish how long this conduct lasted or how many people may have been involved in it. GEORGIA- Stacey Abrams, the Invisalign and NutriSystem poster child who still thinks she's the governor of Georgia has a pretty funny way of reaching out to law enforcement officers. They will try ordering you around, like they're in a position to do so. 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. Moreover, we found Randall's claim to have found the "license" in a Roundup bathroom not to be credible. We found evidence of the unofficial sale of T-shirts during several Roundups that some persons found to be racially insensitive. Taunting the ATF agent about the presence of the two blacks, one of the Fort Lauderdale officers stated, "ATF fucks up everything they touch. If someone is accused of wrongdoing, its up to a jury of their peers to determine their fate. OIG identified forty-four past or present DOJ employees who attended at least one Roundup. 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. Maybe they'll freeze, or run away. 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." agent and to the applicable Department of Treasury component for one of its employees who used to be employed by DOJ. 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. Rightmyer was interviewed by OIG twice, including an all day on-the-record interview in the latter stages of the investigation. "Obviously LMPD fights any type of discrimination but I don't know about the case and if I did I couldn't comment about it," Fischer said. Some witnesses we found to be extremely credible; others to be wholly incredible. When the organizers learned about it, they covered over the graffiti. Year-to-date through October 23, 2020, the numbers were already at 632 calls. The only identifying information we received was that an unspecified person from Ohio and another from Mississippi possessed one of these tapes. These men and women have been the . We have been on the . READ MORE: UNDERSTANDING THE DARK SIDE OF LEADERSHIP PART III. Logically speaking, the first troop should get a higher award than the second. 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. COLUMN: Bryan Co. Good Ol' Boy System Means No More Services for DV, Sexual Assault Victims. It ensures we will always be short staffed, which weakens us. We are not aware of any effort that was made to establish who posted the signs. Inmates who seem to threaten law suits and or . We found no evidence that any federal law enforcement personnel appears in the photograph. We found no evidence that any racial restrictions, either explicit or implicit, were placed on the distribution of these invitations. It builds espirt de corps. 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). 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. Arrests Are Plummeting. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson. 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. Thats just a fact of life. We also coordinated with a number of other law enforcement agencies that were conducting investigations into participation by their own personnel in the Roundup, most notably the Department of Treasury Office of the Inspector General (Treasury OIG). | Father of Louisville man killed in shooting pleads for end to gun violence, Timeline: Here are the changes and reforms we've seen in Louisville since Breonna Taylor's death. f) T-shirts This group of participants affiliated with DOJ constitutes approximately three percent of the estimated total number of attendees at the sixteen Roundups. Troops do conduct evaluations of their superiors that get sent higher on the chain of command. Poor decisions are made, costing the organization credibility and destroying public confidence. On two occasions the Redneck of the Year contest contained blatantly racist material. We are not aware of any effort that was made to establish who posted the signs. 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. 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. 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. Contrary to the media accounts of this incident, the black agents were not turned away from 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. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. 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. 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 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. The Investigators: Good Ol' Boys - WAFB 6. Such conduct included playing music with racist lyrics at campsites; wearing, trading, and selling T-shirts with racially insensitive messages; telling racially offensive jokes during official competitions; and, in the context of particular facts found, displaying Confederate flags. In its Report, the OIG made many findings, including the following: 1. Our investigative and interviewing strategy was designed to get beyond potentially self-serving accounts. In 1990 and 1992, "persons whom [OIG] could not identify were checking to determine if any blacks were in any of the cars driving through the campground. He also alleged that ATF agents surrounded cars entering the campground and shouted, "Got any niggers in that car?" 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. 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. 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. It has come to past that as things change that some things never change. 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. Based on the number of convictions for violating federal corruption laws, Mississippi a state with just three million citizens ranks at the very top of the . 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. The official activities of the Roundup were centered on athletic events, drinking, and what were intended to be humorous performances by participants vying for such titles as Redneck of the Year. He has written articles for several publications, including Law Enforcement Today, Peace Officers Research Association of California, Police One, The Oxford University Press, The Journal of California Law Enforcement; and has contributed to chapters in IGI Global Publishing textbooks. A third local resident made a vague and contradictory claim that marijuana was used in the campground during one unspecified Roundup. 3. A widely-publicized excerpt from a home video allegedly filmed at a Roundup showed a sign that read, "Nigger check point." Without these examples, the texture of the event could not be adequately communicated. 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. 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. If a toxic leader surrounds him or herself with only people that nod, agree, and kiss their ass, theyll see no need for improvement. OIG subpoenaed computer and bank records relating to the Roundup from Gene Rightmyer, the former ATF agent who had organized and led the Roundup from 1980 through 1995. In the lawsuit, Officer Philip Satterthwaite claims that LMPD officials promoted friends and family members over better-qualified candidates. Hayward also brought some bumper stickers and hats to sell, without much success. Every president and governor names close associates to key cabinet positions. 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. 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. Public officials should also note that dilemmas involving favoritism extend beyond hiring and contracting practices to the more general problem of influence. Two troops are up for awards: One has worked their ass off, day in and day out. . 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. All troops arent always going to get along. researches product purchases and suppliers. Los Angeles, CA: Sage Publications. 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. Although Rightmyer again criticized the officer who performed this skit, he took no other action. Moreover, OIG interviewed residents in the area near where the Roundup was held to learn what relevant evidence they might possess. 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. For example, in Birmingham, Alabama, two closeted individuals closely associated with the Skinhead movement are firmly entrenched in the U.S. Attorney's Office. You want to make sure that you have a diverse leadership, the former FBI agent said. 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. A third local resident made a vague and contradictory claim that marijuana was used in the campground during one unspecified Roundup. In addition OIG concluded that the claims of bestiality, sex on Grumpy's stage during the 1995 Roundup, and naked men jumping out of trees onto women passing below were all unsubstantiated. WHAS11 asked Mayor Greg Fischer about the allegations on Tuesday. Over the sixteen years of the Roundup, only three percent of the total estimated number of attendees were DOJ employees. . When the conduct was brought to the attention of Roundup organizers it was criticized and terminated. Continue reading. Hayward and his attorney terminated the interview shortly after the questioning turned to Hayward's own white supremacist views and activities. 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. For a period of time substantial effort was made to see who could be the most vile and disgusting. They were welcomed at the Roundup in multiple years. Police organizations in particular are always on an uphill march and need every person to be on the winning team for the progress that needs to take place. We are disturbed that an event characterized by rampant public drunkenness, widespread public lewdness, and in later years episodes of racist conduct drew participants from DOJ and other law enforcement organizations. This is primarily due to the lack of trust of the group and the limits those within the group put on their ability to be vulnerable for the sake of understanding. Racists with Badges: The Good Ol' Boys Roundup - donaldwatkins After these events, Satterthwaite filed a PSU complaint. The person who observed the sign reported that it was gone within half an hour. 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.