BERRIEN COUNTY (WKZO-AM) — A lawsuit claiming there was sex between inmates and guards at the Berrien County Jail has been filed in federal court.
Berrien County Sheriff Paul Bailey said he hasn’t been served yet, but is denying any wrongdoing or prior knowledge of misconduct alleged at the county jail by some deputies.
This week, came word of a lawsuit naming the county and four current or former sheriff’s deputies who worked at the jail. Ten women who are named as plaintiffs claim money and other benefits were traded for sex while they were inmates there from 2008 to 2015.
The women say their constitutional rights were violated and are seeking monetary damages.
Bailey issued a statement Thursday, saying an investigation in 2015 found no evidence of misconduct at the jail. He said two of the individuals named in the lawsuit have resigned, while another was fired due to off-duty misconduct.
A fourth deputy, named in the suit but with no specific allegations, remains with the sheriff’s department as a deputy in good standing.
The case has been assigned to Kalamazoo Federal Judge Paul Maloney.
– WSJM-AM contributed to this story.
