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. We found no evidence that such "licenses" were widely available at the Roundup; indeed, we found no one other than Randall who claimed to have seen one in the campground. [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. When someone is granted a position because of connections rather than because he or she has the best credentials and experience, the service that person renders to the public may be inferior. Additionally, organizations that have insular leaders also suffer due to a lack of problem solving within the management rank. Favoritism, cronyism, and nepotism all interfere with fairness because they give undue advantage to someone who does not necessarily merit this treatment. Our investigation established that DOJ employees had quite diverse experiences at the Roundup. I look around from time to time and never cease to be amazed at how little social progress we have actually made. Above all, be vigilant that the good old boys do not inhabit your workplace. If someone is accused of wrongdoing, its up to a jury of their peers to determine their fate. A third local resident made a vague and contradictory claim that marijuana was used in the campground during one unspecified Roundup. In Hayward's case, for example, the important kernels of truth contained in his 1990 videotape and in his allegation regarding a particularly egregious racist skit in 1990 were combined with other allegations that were embellishments of actual events and in many cases distortions and outright fabrications. Worst yet are those organizations that seek improvement in this area and bring in another person to fix, who ultimately repeats the same thing in the attempt of changing the organization. In the change process, the new leader creates more of the same, as the only thing that changes are the players, not the game (Katzenbach, Steffen, & Kronley, 2012). F. Conclusion Satterthwaite claims that an unmarked vehicle conducted surveillance on his home for several days, causing him to become "disturbed, frightened, confused and anxious." 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.' He refused to comply with any aspect of this subpoena. 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. e) Hayward's White Supremacist Literature A third local resident made a vague and contradictory claim that marijuana was used in the campground during one unspecified Roundup. 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. 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. On two occasions the Redneck of the Year contest contained blatantly racist material. 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.". On July 11, 1995, the Washington Times blew the whistle on this annual racist Roundup of law enforcement agents and their invited guests. August 2, 2020. 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 good ole boy system is a haven for groupthink, as the more group-focused the leadership team becomes, the less people are thinking and/or challenging each other. Without these examples, the texture of the event could not be adequately communicated. During a debate with incumbent (real) Governor Brian Kemp (R-GA) Sunday night, Abrams decided to take a potshot at county sheriffs throughout the state. Copyright 2023 01-08-2001, 07:43 PM. In addition, two local women provided affidavits to the Senate Judiciary Committee alleging, among other things, that a woman had been gang-raped at a Roundup, a "drug enforcement officer" had offered one of them drugs during a Roundup, and a goat had been purchased for bestiality purposes. Several women in law enforcement who attended the Roundup reported feeling uncomfortable due to the vulgarity and demeanor of the male attendees. So, unconsciously we end up testing them, and closely evaluating their every move. 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. 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. RELATED: 'We have another study that tells us what we already know' | Black Louisvillians react to LMPD review. We also found no evidence that any DOJ employees attended the Roundup without taking appropriate leave. This is why. Other substantiated allegations, such as the playing of games for monetary stakes and the consumption in isolated instances of moonshine, are addressed fully in the report. Although one other witness believed he saw a T-shirt similar to the one described by Randall worn by one person at the 1995 Roundup, OIG found insufficient credible evidence that such shirts were for sale at the Roundup. -- a particular responsibility of the Department of Justice. Example video title will go here for this video. 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. Other substantiated allegations, such as the playing of games for monetary stakes and the consumption in isolated instances of moonshine, are addressed fully in the report. Extremely gratifying reveal of the "good ole boy " system coming to light in this cold, calculating, criminal murder #Murdaugh trial. How can this not be a 'Good Ole Boy' system issue along with Judges being appointed by these same legislators. His component, however, must assess this conduct in light of the employee's history. Finally in October he relinquished the videotape for analysis by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and agreed to an on-the-record interview. Over the sixteen years of the Roundup, only three percent of the total estimated number of attendees were DOJ employees. Our investigative and interviewing strategy was designed to get beyond potentially self-serving accounts. Blaming these people for the sins of others would have been unfair. "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.". 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 found no evidence, and indeed received no allegations, that any current or former DOJ employee directly engaged in racist or other misconduct -- other than one inappropriate comment by an FBI agent. 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. . Why this hurts us The good ol boys of the work site have ruled on how things seem to get down. Brian Kemp, R., are angry at Stacey Abrams' debate remarks suggesting they're "good ole boys" who target African Americans and think the media's demonization. Also the more difficult it is to prove yourself. 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. 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. We want to draw attention to good models of law enforcement that have improved the effectiveness of policing and interactions with minority communities. Over the sixteen years of the Roundup, only three percent of the total estimated number of attendees were DOJ employees. 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. C. Findings Regarding General Allegations of Racist Meeting the ethical challenges of leadership: Casting light or shadow. 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. They never reach their end goal by the way. Another Ocoee area resident claimed he had requested and been handed some cocaine powder while in the campground during a Roundup in the late 1980s. Further, many conscientious lawmakers have discovered that they must change their patterns of socializing when their work involves many decisions affecting friends and associates. . B. Hayward and his attorney terminated the interview shortly after the questioning turned to Hayward's own white supremacist views and activities. Several women in law enforcement who attended the Roundup reported feeling uncomfortable due to the vulgarity and demeanor of the male attendees. In July 1995, national attention focused suddenly on an annual private gathering in southeastern Tennessee known as the "Good O' Boy Roundup" (Roundup). The popular kids do what they want and push people around, all because they have nothing to fear disciplinary wise. 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. You're skipping over experienced and educated applicants for a buddy. f) T-shirts Nepotism is an even narrower form of favoritism. First, the allegations of racist conduct contained in the initial media accounts and Congressional testimony were truly shocking. The preponderance of the evidence suggested that local police officers from Florence and Boone County, Kentucky, were responsible for posting these signs. Intent and a "Whites-only" Policy. No DOJ employee ever served on the "REX" (Roundup Executive Committee), the group responsible for setting Roundup policies. In addition to Roundup participants, OIG made significant efforts to interview the persons who alleged misconduct against the Roundup and its participants. One of the most common threads among troops wanting to leave a unit (or the military in general) is toxic leadership. 1. In addition to the persons who brought allegations of racism to light, OIG sought to interview persons who were identified as having committed racially offensive acts. These new people havent been through what we have. 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. In the public sphere, favoritism, cronyism, and nepotism also undermine the common good. Hayward was told he could not enter the campground unless all of these materials were removed. Also, "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. Stallard, M. (2007). ", Racists with Badges: The Good Ol' Boys Roundup. In addition to Hayward, two other witnesses had vague and indeterminate recollections of some type of racist sign being posted in the campground for a short time in 1989. 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. In Hayward's case, for example, the important kernels of truth contained in his 1990 videotape and in his allegation regarding a particularly egregious racist skit in 1990 were combined with other allegations that were embellishments of actual events and in many cases distortions and outright fabrications. In a number of years, but certainly in 1990 and 1992, Confederate flags were displayed at various locations in and around the Roundup campground. B. 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. Reasonable people will differ about the appointment of friends and family in high-level positions, but public officials should be aware that such choices can give the appearance of unfairness. Contact Mike for services Life Coaching, Training, Team Building, Corporate Training, Project Management, and Public Speaking Office of Personnel Management (OPM) regulations prohibit federal employees from engaging in "criminal, infamous, dishonest, immoral, or notoriously disgraceful conduct prejudicial to the government." The authors suggest four opportunities to dig an organization out of an insular environment. Those incidents helped create and perpetuate a climate that was not welcoming towards African Americans, other minorities, or women. Most people of interracial goodwill have never heard of Gene Rightmyer, the former Knoxville, Tennessee-based ATF agent who organized and led the Good Ol' Boys Roundup (Roundup) from 1980 through 1995. (1999). Copyrighted and Published on January 29, 2020. 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. Katzenbach, J., Steffen, I., & Kronley, C. (2012). . 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. Racist signs, bumper stickers, hats, banners, and other display items littered the campground site when Hayward and Randall attended the Roundups. We found substantial evidence that strippers performed at the campground year after year beginning around 1988. There was a drawing depicting an African-American's face with a circle around it and a red slash across the circle. Many fell somewhere in between. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2012/07/cultural-change-that-sticks, Lee, A. We should have flying cars, human-like AI's, teleporters and more. 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. 'Good ole boy system': LMPD officer files lawsuit accusing department of bias, discrimination. We found no information as to who was responsible for this sign. 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. We conclude that the name "Good O' Boy" was not selected or used with the intent to send a message that the event was racially exclusive. We were unable to establish how long this conduct lasted or how many people may have been involved in it. We could not escape making judgments concerning their credibility. Most people define the Good Ole Boy System as "people who use or gain special treatment with job assignments and promotions because of the relationship they have with others.". The good ol boy system is when a leader unabashedly chooses favorites among their subordinates. You would have everyone on equal footing, we would be treated fairly. #8. Although in earlier years we found efforts by Rightmyer to ensure that women were treated appropriately and these women reported no problems, we found little evidence of concern in the later years when the objectionable conduct became pervasive. For most of the allegations, no physical or documentary evidence was available. Vari Hall, Santa Clara University500 El Camino RealSanta Clara, CA 95053408-554-5319, Ethical Considerations for COVID-19 Vaccination, Hackworth Fellowships Project Showcase 2021, The Ethics of Going Back to School in a Pandemic, Systemic Racism, Police Brutality, and the Killing of George Floyd, COVID-19: Ethics, Health and Moving Forward, The Ethical Implications of Mass Shootings, Political Speech in the Age of Social Media, Point/Counterpoint: Democratic Legitimacy, Brett Kavanaugh and the Ethics of the Supreme Court Confirmation Process. And no DOJ employee was ever elected to be president or vice-president of the Roundup. 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. He also teaches martial arts outside of the DOC. 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. 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. Look for a box or option labeled Home Page (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari) or On Startup (Chrome). 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. a) 1989 Allegations We also found that an atmosphere hostile to minorities -- and to women -- developed over time because inadequate action was taken by the Roundup organizers to appropriately deal with instances of racial or other kinds of misconduct.". 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. What ethical dilemmas do favoritism, cronyism, and nepotism present? 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. By signing up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, MIGHTY NETWORKS, 2023 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, Colonel Paris Davis received the Medal of Honor nearly 60 years after he earned it in Vietnam, The Military Has A Toxic Leadership Problem, Odierno: Army Not a 'Good Ol' Boy Network' | Military.com, Competition VS Good Old Boy Club | RallyPoint. Troops do conduct evaluations of their superiors that get sent higher on the chain of command. 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. T-shirts were sold at the Roundup that were found to be racially insensitive. A related idea is patronage, giving public service jobs to those who may have helped elect the person who has the power of appointment. 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). For cabinet level positions, an executive will probably be drawn to experienced, qualified candidates, but historically, the lower down the ladder, the more likely for someone's brother-in-law to be slipped into a job for which he is not qualified. 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. 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. Rites of passage, even in the job place, which leave coworkers to fend for themselves until they have proven themselves to be "worthy" of being included. This is particularly true in Southern states. Many fell somewhere in between. 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. The "good ole boy" system plagues T.D.C.J, and is part of the reason they have a hard time keeping employees. "A 'good ole' boy' network refers to an informal system where white men of a similar background use their influence for their mutual benefit (and often to the detriment of those who are not part of the 'good ole' boy' network)." . Georgia sheriffs supporting Gov. 4 opportunities to get the organization out of the club: Applicability to policing. We cling to old traditions and practices. d) Racist Confrontation Relationships matter, but they are not the only things that matter. Insular environments are also the breeding ground of fear-based cultures. In 1993, Hayward arrived at the campground with his car plastered with racially offensive and political materials. To call a sheriff a part of the Good Ol' Boy network, I think is an injustice," Kemp said. OIG found no evidence that any DOJ employee -- or federal employees from other agencies -- participated in such conduct. 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. Arrests Are Plummeting. Rightmyer also announced generally that everyone in law enforcement was welcome at the Roundup, and those who disagreed should leave. Remarkably, we found no one in attendance who appeared to be offended by such activity or who sought to curb it. One particular display in 1992, captured in a photograph we obtained during the investigation, included a group surrounding the flag whose members are shown making obscene gestures and raising their fists. 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.
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