This One Will Haunt Lexington Mayor, Jim Newberry, Come Election Time.

Mayor calls for probe into jail personnel practices
By Ryan Alessi and Valarie Honeycutt Spears

Mayor Jim Newberry on Saturday called for an independent investigation into management and personnel policies at the Fayette County Detention Center after three female corrections officers have filed lawsuits this year alleging harassment, retaliation or sexual discrimination.

Newberry's announcement came three days after the most recent suit was filed by corrections officer Tanya Newcomb, who alleged that her supervisor, Capt. Dwight Hall, retaliated against her for filing a complaint about a warning he gave her in 2006.

Newcomb's complaint also described a "sexually hostile atmosphere" at the detention center — a theme that arose in two previous lawsuits brought by female corrections officers this year.

The city's law department told Newberry that the two previous situations were unrelated to each other.

But Newberry, in a news release issued Saturday afternoon, said in light of the third complaint, "I think we need an independent agency to take a look at employment practices at the jail."

Newberry is expected to select an organization to conduct the review next week, according to the release.

Until now, Newberry has remained quiet about the lawsuits, citing the sensitive legal nature of the cases.

"We have worked to make significant improvements over the last two and a half years," Newberry said in a statement. "This probe will help us decide whether more changes are needed."