New York Attorney General Letitia James announced a sweeping settlement with the Clinton County Sheriff’s Office following an investigation that uncovered sexual harassment, retaliation, and misconduct involving both women corrections officers and incarcerated women at the Clinton County Jail.
The settlement, announced Monday, marks the first agreement of its kind reached by the Attorney General’s Law Enforcement Misconduct Investigative Office (LEMIO) with a county sheriff’s department.
“Women corrections officers should never fear showing up to work and incarcerated women should not be afraid of the individuals responsible for their safety,” said Attorney General James. “This agreement puts Clinton County on the correct path forward.”
The investigation, launched in February 2023, found that multiple women COs reported persistent sexual harassment—including unwanted contact and sexual propositions—to supervisors, but the complaints were not addressed according to the county’s policy. Two male COs and a sergeant were later disciplined. One resigned.
Female staff also reported experiencing retaliation after the initial personnel investigation concluded.
Separately, formerly incarcerated women described misconduct by male employees, including inappropriate touching, brushing against them, and making sexual comments. The investigation found that the jail failed to maintain records of grievances or the results of any internal probes.
The jail was also found to be noncompliant with the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA), a federal standard designed to prevent sexual abuse in detention facilities.
Under the settlement terms, the Sheriff’s Office must adopt new anti-harassment policies, implement PREA requirements, and hire an independent monitor for four years. The monitor will report twice a year to the Attorney General’s Office on the jail’s compliance.
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to [email protected].