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FARMINGTON — They were commonly known among co-workers as the "sexual harassment trio," the "creeper team," and "team sexual harassment," according to Davis County officials.
The monikers were terms that even those in charge of the Davis County Jail had heard, according to an investigative report by Davis County's Human Resources division.
But very little was done to stop the behavior, the report says.
In April, Davis County announced disciplinary action was pending against five corrections deputies and supervisors with the Davis County Sheriff's Office following a two-month investigation into alleged sexual misconduct at the jail. A sixth deputy, who likely would have faced discipline, resigned from the sheriff's office before the penalty phase of the investigation began.
Details of an apparent ongoing culture of sexual harassment at the jail that went unpunished are revealed in the investigation's final report obtained by KSL through a public records request. Davis County officials conducted an investigation into allegations that at least six to seven women, including both certified law enforcers and civilian employees within the corrections department, were subjected to unwelcomed behavior for years.
The harassing behavior came primarily from three deputies, according to the report. The report also outlines some disturbing behavior of the men while on duty.
The investigation resulted in two jail commanders being demoted for not acting on the allegations, an officer and a deputy being suspended without pay, and one officer resigning.
Chief Deputy Kevin Fielding was demoted to the rank of captain on Apri 21. Fielding, who was transferred out of corrections to the main sheriff's office just before the investigation began, was a supervisor during the time of the alleged harassment. He was not accused of harassing women, but of failing to address the problem. Because Fielding was an appointed employee and not a merit employee, he did not have the option of appealing.
Davis County Sheriff's Capt. Henry Jaquez was demoted to the rank of lieutenant.
But the main accusations of sexual harassment were levied against officer Preston Ellsworth, deputy Larry Hubbard and deputy Nicholas Chard. During 38 employee interviews and 220 pages of notes and documents collected as part of the investigation, Chard, Hubbard, and Ellsworth were commonly referred to by co-workers as the "sexual harassment trio" or "team sexual harassment," according to the report.
Ellsworth was suspended without pay for five days. Hubbard was suspended for two days without pay. Chard resigned.
Female employees told investigators that Chard, who was married, would engage in "heavy" flirting and that his behavior "crosses the line," the report states. His alleged actions toward young, female employees — particularly new employees — were "relentless," according to co-workers.
Related:
Davis County Sheriff's office reviewing handling of sexual harassment complaint
Five employees in the Davis County Sheriff's Office and jail were placed on paid leave amid a review of how the office handled a sexual harassment complaint.In fact, the investigation found that all three men would heavily flirt or "sexually pursue" young women — particularly new employees — while working at the Davis County Jail. Their behavior dated back as early as 2014, the investigation concluded.
The report found some of the men were part of a private Facebook group "in which graphic pictures — sometimes of co-workers — are posted."
Chard was also found to have grabbed the buttocks of a co-worker, the report says, something he denied doing. His conduct "was one of the primary reasons" one woman left her job with the sheriff's office, the report states.
Furthermore, Chard "pursued" an 18-year-old woman at the jail and continued to contact her after she was released, according to the report. The girl's mother finally contacted Jaquez to complain that Chard was stalking her daughter, the report says.
The investigation also noted that Ellsworth became "snippy" when asked to stop his behavior. When interviewed for the investigation, he allegedly claimed the behavior of the three men was more "dark humor" than anything and a coping mechanism for dealing with the stress of working in the jail.
When looking into Fielding and Jaquez, the investigation found "there is a 'lack of accountability' on part of leadership at corrections — which included Jaquez. In fact, there is a saying in corrections which is: 'When I mess up, I sure hope there is enough room left under that rug.'"
The investigation began Jan 25 after "multiple" corrections employees had contacted the county's human resources department with complaints about "harassment, sexual harassment and supervisory failure to address those issues," according to the department.
