DOJ regulations also prohibit employees from engaging in "disrespectful conduct." Brian is a life-long student of leadership, and passionate about helping others. Johnson, C. (2012). Enter https://www.corrections1.com/ and click OK. Information sharing is chaotic and in-group knows more about organizational agendas than everyone else. A future Roundup president and Richard Hayward can be readily identified in the photo. 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. #8. After conducting a comprehensive investigation of the Roundup from Thus, DOJ participation in the Roundup was relatively insignificant both numerically and organizationally. According to Fatal Encounters, George Floyd was one of 819 individuals killed during interactions with police so far in 2020. 8. For a period of time substantial effort was made to see who could be the most vile and disgusting. 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; Both nepotism and cronyism are often at work when political parties recruit candidates for public office. When these allegations were first made public, the public criticism was broad and harsh. OIG received no allegations and found no evidence that any DOJ property was used to support the Roundup. The OIG report contains a summary of our findings with respect to these and all other DOJ employees who attended. Racist signs were posted in at least two years: 1990 and 1992. 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. These good ole boys clubs have a range of consequences in the business world . READ MORE: UNDERSTANDING THE DARK SIDE OF LEADERSHIP PART III. Retrieved from,https://qz.com/196273/how-to-break-up-the-old-boys-club-in-your-office/, McMillin, J. T.K. For more information about government ethics programs and resources contact John Pelissero. In response to a request of the Deputy Attorney General, the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (OIG) conducted a wide-ranging investigation to determine whether any Department of Justice (DOJ) employees had attended the Roundup and, if so, whether they engaged in or approved of racial, criminal, or other kinds of misconduct at any of the sixteen Roundups from 1980 through 1995. [O]ur investigation revealed ample evidence of shocking racist, licentious, and puerile behavior by attendees occurring in various years. Also the more difficult it is to prove yourself. 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. When the rules are not universal in a police organization, it becomes very difficult to keep everyone playing by them. Exploring the nature of the old boys network in the United States: Using electronic networks of practice to understand gendered issues in HRD. 9. Over time, when you copy an image repeatedly, the pixilation becomes distorted, and over time its not a useful quality image worth printing. Organizational expectation is who you know rather than what you do. Some witnesses we found to be extremely credible; others to be wholly incredible. 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. As we have noted, we are forwarding information to the Director of the FBI for consideration of discipline against an FBI When groupthink is present, big ideas get pushed down, shunned, or worst never shared with the group in the first place. 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. When the conduct was brought to the attention of Roundup organizers it was criticized and terminated. We could not escape making judgments concerning their credibility. 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." In addition to Roundup participants, OIG made significant efforts to interview the persons who alleged misconduct against the Roundup and its participants. We believe we have developed a fair and accurate picture of what occurred. Do Not Sell My Personal Information, If you need further help setting your homepage, check your browsers Help menu, First Circuit: Surgery performed on inmate to locate alleged contraband a violation of the Fourth Amendment, Ala. police: Man gets ride home from jail, then kills 3 relatives and friend, Charges dropped against detainee after video showed beating by deputies inside Ga. jail, Inmate accused of slashing N.Y. corrections officer indicted, Open the tools menu in your browser. Share. All rights reserved. This failure, together with the availability of massive amounts of alcohol, no doubt contributed to the recurrence of such incidents. 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. 1. 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. 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. Racist skits were performed in 1990 and 1992. In 2019, Bryan County law enforcement officials responded to 661 domestic violence calls. COLUMN: Bryan Co. Good Ol' Boy System Means No More Services for DV, Sexual Assault Victims. We want an investigation to stop the good ole boy law system in McKean County as well as the tyranny. Understanding the basic needs of people, appreciating the contributions of others, and helping them achieve their potential are building blocks of successful organizations (Stallard, 2007). . In the early years a contest called the Beer Enduro took place, requiring participants to drink a specified quantity of beer at regular intervals. 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. Officers from Cobb County, Georgia, brought a similar shirt. The initial allegations of racist conduct were made in an article in the Washington Times on July 11. Half of the DOJ participants did not go to any Roundups after 1988 -- a significant fact because no egregious racist misconduct was alleged to have occurred prior to 1989. . In July 1995, national attention focused suddenly on an annual private gathering in southeastern Tennessee known as the "Good O' Boy Roundup" (Roundup). Moreover, OIG interviewed residents in the area near where the Roundup was held to learn what relevant evidence they might possess. Letting friends or inner-circles have a lack of accountability does not help mobilize the workforce in our heaviest lift yet- sustaining an above-average service during every contact we make. 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. We found no evidence that any racial restrictions, either explicit or implicit, were placed on the distribution of these invitations. For a period of time substantial effort was made to see who could be the most vile and disgusting. 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. They are not operating in any undercover capacity to infiltrate this racist organization. The only identifying information we received was that an unspecified person from Ohio and another from Mississippi possessed one of these tapes. Above all, be vigilant that the good old boys do not inhabit your workplace. We are not aware of any effort that was made to establish who posted the signs. Importantly as well, there were not many options given the initial objective of finding a site for an overnight camping and whitewater rafting trip near Rightmyer's duty office in Knoxville. In its Report, the OIG made many findings, including the following: 1. All told, our investigation took into account the statements of nearly 900 witnesses, including 560 who attended a Roundup. 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. Extremely gratifying reveal of the "good ole boy " system coming to light in this cold, calculating, criminal murder #Murdaugh trial. In 1993, Hayward arrived at the campground with his car plastered with racially offensive and political materials. The 9News Investigators found records of two paychecks made out to Jimmy Jones after his resignation date of April 28, 2015. 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. 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 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. Fired up or burned out: How to reignite your teams passion, creativity, and productivity. He says wonderful comforting things to the public, words that make the street deputies get goose bumps and feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Although Rightmyer again criticized the officer who performed this skit, he took no other action. 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. Thus, whether intended or not, the Roundup was in fact predominantly a gathering of whites. We also found no evidence that any DOJ employees attended the Roundup without taking appropriate leave. 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. This interviewing strategy was designed to ferret out as much information from as many different sources as possible to minimize the chances that racial or other kinds of misconduct might be concealed from us. 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. Our report describes many of the crude and disgusting incidents that were related to us during our interviews. If a toxic leader surrounds him or herself with only people that nod, agree, and kiss their ass, theyll see no need for improvement. "You know, you're the person that plays golf with the commander of the unit, so when you go apply you're going to get that spot.". In response to a request of the Deputy Attorney General, the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (OIG) conducted a wide-ranging investigation to determine whether any Department of Justice (DOJ) employees had attended the Roundup and, if so, whether they engaged in or approved of racial, criminal, or other kinds of misconduct at any of the sixteen Roundups from 1980 through 1995. These new people havent been through what we have. This agency, is the worst "law enforcement" agency I've worked for. As favoritism is the broadest of these related terms, we'll start with its definition. For most of the allegations, no physical or documentary evidence was available. Others may restrict the hiring of relatives or friends in more general conflict-of-interest rules. After conducting a comprehensive investigation of the Roundup from We found substantial evidence that strippers performed at the campground year after year beginning around 1988. This impacts the department in multiple ways such as: "We are proud of the support we have from Democrat and Republican sheriffs. 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. When these allegations were first made public, the public criticism was broad and harsh. "It's always been a buddy buddy system to my knowledge and there's going to be a few that say it's not and that's because they are a part of the buddy buddy system," Leflore said. Beshear confirms 3 dead after severe weather makes its way through Kentuckiana, LG&E: 'Significant' power outages with no restoration time given, A councilwoman's 'road map' to equity in Louisville, 'We have another study that tells us what we already know' | Black Louisvillians react to LMPD review, 'Breonna's home state continues to fail her' | Louisville groups raise concerns over changes to bill that would limit no-knock warrants, 'To lose my son in the same community I grew up in, it's tough.' CAIRO, Ga. It was Election Day in Grady County, and Sheriff Harry Young, 76, had hardly slept three hours the night before. 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 public drunkenness began far earlier and was a reason cited by many DOJ employees and others for not returning to the Roundup. 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. Nonetheless, OIG expended considerable time, energy, and resources to determine as best we could what happened at the Roundup. In 1991 wo-men accounted for only 9% of law enforcement agencies (Price, 1996). The display of the Confederate flag is a controversial matter. To assist the Director of the FBI in his determination of punishment in this case, we are also forwarding additional information from our investigative files and will provide further information as requested. 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. 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. Public officials should also note that dilemmas involving favoritism extend beyond hiring and contracting practices to the more general problem of influence. Hayward and his attorney terminated the interview shortly after the questioning turned to Hayward's own white supremacist views and activities. He contended that racist signs and an effigy of a black person were displayed at the registration desk for the entire Roundup. 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. Good Ol boys club. If they do pretend it doesnt exist, troops will catch on and word will spread quickly through the ranks. When he believed that OIG intended to seek court enforcement of the subpoena he publicly threatened bloodshed. We further believe that such regulation is wholly appropriate. Charles Morgan started his career as a corrections officer at MECC, a level 3 facility, and then transferred to ERDCC, a level 5 facility. OIG investigated these allegations and concluded that none of the claims that a woman was raped at a Roundup were supported by the evidence. Verifying the allegations, therefore, required assessing the accuracy and reliability of testimony given by witnesses. When there are divisions within a single unit because someone doesnt like that guy for something personal, the unit has a serious problem. Because of the historical connections between similar sites and racist activities, these agents attributed racist intentions to the Roundup due simply to its location. For example, one T-shirt for sale depicted three police officers around a police car and two black persons being held face down on the hood of the car. In reality, the clothes do not exist, and although swindled, the emperor himself does not admit he cannot see them, because he doesnt want to be seen as unwise. The phrase used by the persons engaged in the activity was 'checking cars for niggers'. 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. They also bring this up in the report, the club the good old boys club. This article is part four of a seven-part series, illuminating light on the seven errors of leadership behaviors. He was going for another term, his fifth, and as the . 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. 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. On two occasions the Redneck of the Year contest contained blatantly racist material. Every president and governor names close associates to key cabinet positions. II. Other isolated but nevertheless significant evidence of racially offensive or insensitive conduct occurred in a number of years. We found no evidence that any federal law enforcement personnel appears in the photograph. "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. When the organizers of the Roundup learned about the signs, they ordered the signs taken down. 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. The first issue is competence. Simply put: If someone does something wrong, their ass is grass. 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. This is an opportunity for troops to vent legitimate problems. Solely on our findings, an appropriate sanction would be a reprimand, either written or oral. Many DOJ employees believe that what they do off duty is their business and not a proper concern of their employer. Brian Ellis is a 20-year veteran of the Sacramento Police Department. All the latest Law Enforcement Today news, updates and alerts delivered straight to your phone or inbox. 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. When there is a more formal approach to succession planning, departments usually build more buy-in and elicit better work outputs from people. These signs included, "Nigger checkpoint," "Any niggers in that car?," "no niggers," and "17 cents lb." Hayward videotaped the 1990 Roundup. Blaming these people for the sins of others would have been unfair. Scratch my back, Ill scratch yours That creates a unique bond regardless of your personal relationship with someone. 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. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2012/07/cultural-change-that-sticks, Lee, A. The women dancers were strippers. 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. 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. At the least, they may choose to recuse themselves from votes where social relationships may exert undue influence. Los Angeles, CA: Sage Publications. 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. 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. Unlimited access to beer twenty-four hours a day led to extreme drunkenness. While these practices are intended to strengthen us as a whole and weed out the untrustworthy, it actually does the opposite. Op/Ed: Employment And Crime. Hayward was told he could not enter the campground unless all of these materials were removed. OIG investigated these allegations and concluded that none of the claims that a woman was raped at a Roundup were supported by the evidence. 1980-95, we conclude that the Roundup was not, as it was portrayed in the media stories, a "Klan rally," an intentionally "whites-only" racist gathering, or a haven for criminal conduct. 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. Satterthwaite claims that an unmarked vehicle conducted surveillance on his home for several days, causing him to become "disturbed, frightened, confused and anxious." We cling to old traditions and practices. Gritz said that the DOJ and the FBI has more work to do in promoting gender equality and diversity within their ranks. People that are bringing people up in rank based on personal relationship, Gritz told Hill. Logan of the University of Kentucky, the lead researcher, noted that the rural women were from the Appalachian area, which has received media attention because of drug use. These signs read, "Nigger check point," "Any niggers in that car?," and "17 lb." identifies important training information, interacts with each other and Taunting the ATF agent about the presence of the two blacks, one of the Fort Lauderdale officers stated, "ATF fucks up everything they touch. READ MORE: YOU LOST YOUR BEST EMPLOYEE, NOW WHAT? [W]e found evidence that cassette tapes of music by a performer named David Allen Coe were played during various years, including the song, "My Wife Ran Off With a Nigger.". Please follow him on Twitter @BrianEllis10. The day before the Roundup opened a small sign that read, "no niggers," was observed posted on a stake alongside the road into the campground. Copyright 2023 Our investigation established that DOJ employees had quite diverse experiences at the Roundup. I can see and understand how the system would come into practice. August 2, 2020. Troops do conduct evaluations of their superiors that get sent higher on the chain of command. No DOJ employee ever served on the "REX" (Roundup Executive Committee), the group responsible for setting Roundup policies. You're skipping over experienced and educated applicants for a buddy. Surveys were sent to many agencies across Texas. We have been on the . 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.