Denver Pays $1.55M for Turning Jail Into House of Horrors for Female Deputies

Last night, Denver City Council authorized a $1.55 million payout to settle a consolidated lawsuit filed on behalf of fifteen female Denver Sheriff Department deputies over working conditions at Denver County Jail. That's certainly a substantial amount — but the details about what these women experienced on the job are likely to leave many readers wondering why they didn't receive more.

Even the DSD admits that it fell short. "There will always be areas we can improve upon as a department," notes spokesperson Daria Serna, corresponding via email, "as evidenced by our agreement to provide more training to employees on inmate sexual harassment as part of the settlement."

She adds: "The Denver Sheriff Department recognizes that being responsible for the care and custody of inmates on a daily basis is a very challenging role for our deputy sheriffs. We constantly strive to provide our staff with the support, tools, resources and training they need to fulfill that role, and to listen to their concerns."

The current complaint is based on separate suits we initially explored in 2015 and 2016, respectively. Both are accessible below, and they argue that the goals outlined by Serna haven't always been achieved. Be warned that the language from the documents may offend some readers.

Read more: https://www.westword.com/news/sexual-harassment-settlement-for-women-guards-at-denver-jail-11474125