Minority officers file discrimination lawsuit alleging they were not allowed to guard or be on the same floor as Derek Chauvin

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minority officers allege discrimination after they were barred from guarding Derek Chauvin.

Eight people of color who work as correctional officers in Minnesota filed a discrimination lawsuit on Friday alleging they were not allowed to guard or be on the same floor as Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer charged with murder in the death of George Floyd.

Chauvin was charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter on May 29 and is being held at the Ramsey County Jail on $1 million bond.

Eight Ramsey County corrections officers filed racial discrimination charges with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights on Friday alleging that when Chauvin was booked into the jail, all officers of color were ordered to a separate floor, according to the Star Tribune, which obtained a copy of charges. The charges allege that a supervisor told one of the officers that because of their race, they would be a potential “liability” around Chauvin.

Bonnie Smith, a Minneapolis attorney representing the eight employees, said the order left a lasting impact on morale.

“I think they deserve to have employment decisions made based on performance and behavior,” she said. “Their main goal is to make sure this never happens again.”

Jail Superintendent Steve Lydon allegedly told superiors that he was informed that day that Chauvin would be arriving in 10 minutes and he made a call “to protect and support” minority employees by shielding them from Chauvin.

“Out of care and concern, and without the comfort of time, I made a decision to limit exposure to employees of color to a murder suspect who could potentially aggravate those feelings,” Lydon said in a statement given during an internal investigation and provided by the sheriff’s office to the Star Tribune. He has since been demoted.

The discrimination charges are expected to automatically trigger a state investigation. It would mark the second Department of Human Rights racism probe into a law enforcement agency in recent weeks. The state launched a sweeping inquiry into the Minneapolis Police Department after Floyd’s death.