JJ obtained through a public records request a copy of the settlement agreement between Penny Corn and the Mississippi Department of Public Safety. Ms. Corn sued DPS a year ago for sex discrimination and retaliation. DPS and Ms. Corn settled the case in May.
The settlement agreement states that DPS will pay Ms. Corn $75,000 for damages and $9,474 for lost wages. The settlement agreement is posted below. The lawsuit is the third discrimination lawsuit settled by DPS or MBN in the last year. DPS settled one a year ago with Gayle McMullin and MBN settled one with Katherine Sullivan for $25,000.
Governor Phil Bryant told the Clarion-Ledger:
"It stops here. It’ll stop at this office going forward with all executive agencies, with any power and influence I have over other agencies that are in the state," he said. "We have to take responsibility if things are going wrong and obviously there are things that have gone wrong, and what I can do now is help remedy those, but make sure people understand this better not happen again. And I think they’ve got that message. If they have not you’ll see some career-altering decisions that will be made."
Frank Corder jumped into the fray and praised the Governor for his "head on approach":
While the story on the Governor’s aggressive stance on this issue was reported by the Clarion Ledger as news, there has not been one column inch of editorial content written on Bryant’s head on approach to tackling this unfortunate issue by anyone in the state’s mainstream media. As I said, we are often quick to criticize but slow to give a pat on the back. In the state’s print media, that is especially true for when a Republican does a good thing under tough circumstances.Well Frank, maybe if you read this site or weren't stuck down on the Gulf Coast, you might actually know what is going on up here. It's frankly hard to read this editorial with a straight face. JJ has reported on these problems for years but Frank seems to think there was no problem until after the Governor said something.
But hey, maybe I’m misreading the bias in the media against the Governor and the Republican leadership. Maybe it’s just me who sees a slew of stories painting the state’s GOP leadership as incompetent and irresponsible. Or maybe I beat them to the punch and perhaps they are waiting for their weekend columns to throw the Governor some love… but I, for one, am not holding my breath. Post.
*The Mississippi Highway Patrol didn't fire a Sergeant who was caught engaging in gay sex with a truck driver at a closed rest area by an MDOT law enforcement agent. The Case of Officer Redfruit.
*Gayle McMullin's successful racial discrimination lawsuit against MHP. Post.
*Penny Corn's settlement with MHP. Post.
*Katherine Sullivan's lawsuit and settlement with MBN. Post.
*An officer at MBN engaging in a complete strip act at a MBN facility. Post.
Yes, Frank, it is all media bias about the poor lil Governor. Everyone is out to get him. Never mind the fact that you ignored all of these stories that were posted over the last few years and never thought to ask whether they were actually true. JJ will close this post with a quote from an earlier post on this subject:
Frankly, it is hard to take the Governor's comments seriously. There is a culture of racism, sexism, and just plain dumbism at Mississippi state law enforcement agencies. JJ has reported these stories since 2013 yet the Governor only takes action when gasp, the Clarion-Ledger reports them. A tree apparently makes no sound unless the "state newspaper" reports it in his universe. The good ole boys don't see anything wrong with the behavior that created these lawsuits. They probably think it's funny and rates an 8 on the Perkins scale. The leadership at these agencies has been weak for quite some time. Leaders are not held accountable. Complaints and lawsuits proliferate as basic HR principles are repeatedly ignored. A criminal suspect probably has more protection than a woman working at these agencies. However, it is nice to see the Governor finally step up to the plate. It remains to be seen if he will actually take a swing at the problem.
14 comments:
Kingfish, I think you owe Deputy Fife (Phil) a commission, because 90% of your news has been generated by his boondoggles while in office. And, it has been across the board - employment malfeasance, financial malfeasance, extortion, bribery, etc. Someone needs to write a book on the deputy, his cowboy boots, and his large pile of cow sh!t called an administration.
AMEN AMEN AMEN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks 2:51, You can also blame Phil's supreme leader Trent Lott for everything.
Pheel and Lott, I think we should throw Nixon and Spiro Agnew in there too!
Why stop there, I'm liking General Custer, Neville Chamberlain and Caesar Augustus....
Good grief, the drama of dumb-asses and conspiracy theorist. Pheel, pile it on him because he's a dunce and supreme goofball, but Lott? What the f*ck?
So unless you have proof that you are willing to put in writing that Lott is somehow the wizard behind the curtain than piss off.
There's only one person to blame for this, Albert Santa Cruz. By selectively enforcing certain DPS policies and allowing a culture of ignorance throughout the department he has cost the state a lot of money and a lot of talent. I mean really, who wants to work in an environment where you lose your job because you were screwing an informant, but you get it back because everyone else is too, or its acceptable to get corn holed at a weigh station while on duty, or you can get a promotion by banging someone in the stairwell? And this is just the stuff we know, one can only imagine what we don't. DPS is so short on class, dignity and integrity Phil needs to start over, like NOW.
It's not realistic for people to expect the governor to know every detail of every agency and every office and every board and every commission; his job is to mitigate risks to the state, whether its from a natural disaster, or a disaster like Santa Cruz. In this case he failed to protect the taxpayers from these disgusting, self-entitled fools who dare to call themselves public servants.
It is impossible for the governor or any department head to NOT know all these shenanigans are going on and rampant. He can publish once a week that the buck stops here and he won't tolerate this, but inaction speaks loudly. Boot polish and MEMA windbreakers won't begin to disguise the incompetence.
If the governor is serious he would bring in people from the outside to clean up the mess.
I think the first thing that needs to happen once a new commissioner is named is to have Horne LLP come in and do a full audit!
Give Phil a break,everybody knows that since the absolute power has transitioned to the Republicans, that Tater is the one running the show. If Tater don't approve, it don't happen, Po Phil knows it, you don't have to read between the lines, it's wide open.
DPS and the Gaming Commission were just named in a federal wrongful death lawsuit surrounding the death of Gaming Commission Investigations Director John Gorman.
I agree that Santa Cruz needs to GO. The fact that he hasn't speaks volumes about his boss.
I think Phil keeps Santa Cruz around just to piss Tater off.
The first question I always axe when incompetence is allowed to rein for a decade or more is why. Is there a reason Phil is afraid to discipline or terminate this guy? I could make suggestions, but Kingfish doesn't allow them under his radar. If the suggestions are not Kingfish's idea, they don't get printed here.
Why can't you look into why it was only a one way story and that penny corns story is the only one that they listened too! And how come nothing has been said about her being sued by an ex employee of hers! And why everything of hers keeps getting sweeped under the rug and the truth is always not said!
Corn is a disaster. If Cruzzzz had a pair he would have fired her a long time ago and subsequently saved the taxpayers a lot of cash. Now, she runs through her office like Terry Tate Office Linebacker in Spanxx bashing her employees. With the exception of her little butt flies who she takes to conferences all over the country on the taxpayers dime.
I would guess she has probably burned through her settlement by now so get ready for another suit in 3...2...1
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