Parties settle lawsuit that alleged ‘years-long racist tirade’ in sheriff’s office

A former corporal has reached an out-of-court settlement with the former sergeant he had accused of using racial slurs and of using his authority to oust the office’s only Black deputy.

Two former deputies of the Albany County Sheriff’s Office reached a settlement this month in a lawsuit brought by one against the other, alleging years of racist abuse.

Former Corporal Jamin Johnson alleged in the federal civil rights lawsuit that the since-fired former sergeant Christin Handley used his position of authority within the sheriff’s office to engage in a “years-long racist tirade” against Johnson — at the time, the sheriff’s only Black deputy.

Johnson further alleged he was eventually forced to resign when former Sheriff Dave O’Malley sided with Handley instead of Johnson.

Johnson claimed in subsequent filings that this alliance between Handley and O’Malley was an outgrowth of the “good ole’ boys” club so frequently referenced in discussions about O’Malley’s tenure as sheriff.

Details of the settlement are not publicly known and Johnson did not respond to a request for comment.

‘Overt and abhorrent racism’

In the initial filing, Johnson claimed Handley “relentlessly demeaned Mr. Johnson with racial slurs and innuendos, even once in front of Mr. Johnson’s wife and children.”

This allegedly included comparing black women to dogs, referring to Black arrestees and community members with the n-word, “routinely referring” to Johnson himself with various racial slurs, and once driving by Johnson’s house in his truck, yelling “motherfucking n*****” at Johnson as he was leaving his house with his family.

“The total of Mr. Handley’s racism, bigotry, and discrimination in the workplace almost defies belief,” the lawsuit alleged. “Ultimately, towards the end of 2016, Mr. Handley was promoted to Patrol Sergeant and immediately orchestrated a sham disciplinary process to force Mr. Johnson out of the ACSO because of his race.”

Johnson, a lifelong Albany County resident, graduated from the University of Wyoming in 2006 and joined the Albany County Sheriff’s Office the following year. Johnson followed after his father, who was a University of Wyoming Police Officer.

“Law enforcement was Mr. Johnson’s dream job,” the suit stated.

Johnson was hired as a detention deputy and promoted to patrol deputy four years later. Handley was hired around this time — but directly into the more prestigious patrol deputy position, the suit states.

“This disparity was emblematic of the favoritism and favor that Mr. Handley would seek and frequently obtain in the coming years, despite the heinous conduct described herein,” the lawsuit alleged. “Johnson and Handley worked together as Patrol Deputies from 2011 to 2014, when Mr. Handley began to engage in overt and abhorrent racism against Mr. Johnson, the only Black officer at the ACSO.”

As Handley advanced through the ranks, his “racism grew even more appalling,” the lawsuit alleged.

The lawsuit also alleged that Handley launched a “sham disciplinary process” after becoming Johnson’s superior — and that this process forced Johnson to resign from the Albany County Sheriff’s Office.

Johnson had never been written up or reprimanded before, but just weeks after Handley’s promotion, he wrote a performance evaluation accusing Johnson of various forms of misconduct.

“It became clear to Mr. Johnson that he was being targeted by Mr. Handley on the basis of race,” the lawsuit alleged. “Indeed, Mr. Handley thereafter wrote several other sham disciplinary actions against Mr. Johnson in rapid succession, all designed to force his resignation. Mr. Handley’s write-ups accused Mr. Johnson of lying, creating elaborate stories to cover up his mistakes, and threatening his coworkers.”

All of these were “utterly unsubstantiated allegations,” according to Johnson’s initial filing.

“Nevertheless, based on his sham disciplinary actions, Mr. Handley persuaded Sheriff O’Malley to issue an ultimatum to Mr. Johnson: he could accept a suspension and demotion to Patrol Deputy or leave the ACSO.”

But returning to the patrol deputy position would leave Johnson under Handley’s supervision, the lawsuit stated, so Johnson chose to resign.

‘Untimely allegations’

The lawsuit described an internal investigation launched in early 2021 by Sheriff Aaron Appelhans almost immediately after he took office. The investigation focused on Handley’s conduct and involved an interview between the office’s human resources director and Johnson.

Sheriff Appelhans said he fired Handley in March as a result of the investigation.

“The current sheriff’s office right now, under my administration, doesn’t condone any of that behavior,” he said. “We handle it swiftly, as we’ve done with Christian Handley.”

Handley did not deny the allegations made by Johnson. Instead, he sought to have the lawsuit thrown out on the grounds that the statute of limitations has passed for nearly all of the claims listed therein.

Handley’s motion further argued that the one claim occurring within the statute of limitations, taken alone, can not be shown to be the product of racism. He accused Johnson of “opportunism” for bringing the lawsuit about racism only after learning of Handley’s recent termination for racist behavior.

‘Good ole’ boys’

Johnson then filed an amended complaint, answering some of the points raised by Handley. He also took the opportunity to speak more candidly about the entrenched power and privilege that has kept some deputies employed regardless of their conduct.

The “good ole’ boys” club is referenced frequently by members of the Laramie community to describe a network of old-timers and their relatives with deep roots in the community — who use those roots to avoid scrutiny or punishment for wrongdoing.

As an informal concept, the group’s membership will vary depending on who is discussing the club, and to what end it’s being discussed. And it’s certainly not a term that most would sincerely use to self-identify.

But Johnson’s second filing attempted to define the “good ole’ boys” club — and place Handley squarely within it.

“It was widespread knowledge among ACSO employees that Mr. Handley was part of ACSO’s ‘good ole’ boy’ network and enjoyed the patronage of, and a special relationship with, the sheriff,” Johnson’s amended complaint alleged. “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).”

Johnson alleged this network was alive and well in the sheriff’s office under O’Malley.

“In the context of the ACSO, ‘good ole’ boy’ members such as Handley were groomed by the Sheriff — who was himself part of the ‘good ole’ boy’ network — for promotion and leadership, were not held to the same standards as other employees and had outsize influence over the Sheriff by virtue of their ‘good ole’ boy’ status,” the amended complaint alleged.

And this “outsize influence” came in handy, Johnson alleged, when it was Handley’s word against his own in a matter brought before Sheriff O’Malley.

In essence, the complaint alleged that Handley’s rampant racism and its impact on Johnson’s career can only be understood in the context of this power dynamic.

In light of Johnson’s amended complaint, the judge refused Handley’s motion and ruled the lawsuit could proceed.

A court date was set for June, but Johnson and Handley reached an out-of-court settlement earlier this month. The terms of that settlement are not publicly available.

Johnson’s lawsuit was aimed squarely at Handley, not at the sheriff’s office itself, so it’s unlikely that the settlement involves the transfer of any government funds.

Handley was decertified by Wyoming’s Peace Officers Standards and Training Commission after his termination. That means he can never again work for a law enforcement agency in Wyoming and that he will likely never work for a law enforcement agency anywhere in the nation.