Statement on fired jailers’ return to county payroll

Commissioner Alisa Simmons’ Statement on fired jailers’ return to county payroll

The two Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office detention employees recently fired in connection with Anthony Johnson Jr.’s jail death will retain their employment within the county.

It appears that our sheriff failed to follow long-established civil service rules related to dismissing employees.

Now, the county must continue to pay two individuals whose actions as indicated by investigators may have contributed to Mr. Johnson’s death.

This failure is consistent with a pattern of Sheriff Bill Waybourn’s inability to administer and follow standard operating procedures of his own Sheriff’s Office along with basic processes and procedures outlined in civil service rules.

Inefficiencies abound despite the fact that we have a Civil Service Commission, employment law experts in the Criminal District Attorney’s office and a Human Resources Department. In addition, we have a sheriff who has been in his position for nearly eight years.

As a result of the sheriff’s actions, the county now has to continue employing—and paying —two individuals who really should be facing criminal charges from the missing-in-action Tarrant County DA, and not still drawing a paycheck from county taxpayers.