Suit: Denver Sheriff Discriminates Against Female Deputies

DENVER (AP) - Two female Denver deputies are suing the troubled sheriff's department, saying its policies put female employees at greater risk of harm and burnout.

The deputies said in the federal lawsuit filed Wednesday that male guards are treated favorably, in part because they don't have to supervise or pat down female inmates. Female deputies must oversee and search inmates of both sexes, enduring sexual harassment, violence and lack of opportunities for safer assignments, the lawsuit says.

The deputies, Samone Walker and DaShawn Walker, say female prisoners fight more often, and their pods are overcrowded and short-staffed, creating a dangerous environment.

City Attorney Scott Martinez says officials had not yet been served with the suit. The deputies are a court injunction to force the department to improve conditions as well as monetary damages.

It was the latest problem facing the sheriff's department as it tries to make sweeping reforms after a series of misconduct and excessive force allegations forced the sheriff's resignation. A pair of national consulting firms produced a 300-page report pointing to problems including short-staffing.

A longtime Illinois corrections official, Patrick Firman, was chosen last month to head up to the roughly 890-member department that oversees the city's jails.

Less than 25 percent of the deputies are female, compared to 22 percent of the inmate population. Unlike male inmates, women are not separated by the level of danger they pose, creating safety problems unique to female deputies, the lawsuit says.

Female guards also must supervise male inmates, who often sexually harass them. But the deputies say the department discourages them from reporting it and "does not take reasonable measures against the abuse even when it is reported," according to the suit.

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