KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — A corrections officer at the Richard L. Bean Juvenile Detention Center sued Knox County, saying he was harassed and received disparate treatment because of his race.
Officer Antonio Smith and his attorney filed the lawsuit against the county, former superintendent Brian Bivens, Captain Cory Dauer and Sergeant Brad Sabol. Smith alleged that he endured “severe and pervasive harassment and disparate treatment,” primarily from Dauer and Sabol, implicitly authorized by Bivens. Smith said Bivens harassed him as well, including sending several text messages threatening his employment, which Smith said were sent the weekend before Bivens resigned.
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Smith said this harassment included epithets directed at him as well as “a systematic campaign” to separate him from his employment and/or to provide them with “political cover” if they fired him. Smith also said something similar had happened against two other Black employees.
Smith also alleged that Bivens promoted Sabol instead of him, despite Smith being Sabol’s supervisor. Smith said this was based on Bivens’ “arbitrary discretion” instead of merit and from a desire to remove Smith from his position…