$1.5M for Officers Barred from Guarding Derek Chauvin

    Image copyright: Pool/Reuters [via The Wall Street Journal]

    The Facts

    • A nearly $1.5M settlement has been reached between the Ramsey County Board of Commissioners and eight corrections officers who alleged racial discrimination when they were barred from guarding Derek Chauvin in May 2020, as he awaited trial for his involvement in the death of George Floyd.

    • Chauvin, a former Minneapolis Police Officer, has since been convicted for the murder of Floyd, a black man whose death sparked nationwide protests.


    The Spin

    Narrative A

    While his actions were insensitive, Steve Lydon only had good intentions: He was trying to protect his employees in the face of the traumatizing and unlawful death of George Floyd, and shield them from Chauvin.

    Narrative B

    Lydon's actions were racist and disrespectful. The fact that he remains employed and has only offered a half-hearted apology hidden behind the guise that he was doing the right thing speaks of poor leadership within the Ramsey County Sheriff's Department.


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