Gladiator Fight & Sex Abuse Cases Are Falling Apart. Questions Are Growing.

Dear Sisters and Brothers,

A significant number of criminal cases tied to the so-called “gladiator fights” and alleged sex abuse prosecutions against members are now being dismissed.

• Click here to read today’s LA Times article “‘Gladiator fight’ cases against L.A. juvenile hall staffers are falling apart.”

• Click here to read the LA Times article “False sex abuse claim filed ‘without consent’ in L.A.’s $4-billion settlement, man says.”

As these high-profile cases continue to fall apart, serious questions are emerging about how these charges were brought in the first place and whether due process was followed from the start.

At the same time, concerns continue to grow around the $4 billion settlement tied to these matters and the broader impact these cases have had on our profession.

Local 685 President Curtis Chambers made our Union’s position clear in a statement to the Los Angeles Times:

“Recent dismissals – a significant number – in the Attorney General’s criminal indictments cases, alongside emerging questions about the $4 billion settlement, raise serious concerns about whether due process has been followed from the start.

“Let me be clear: we do not condone misconduct of any kind. But probation officers are sworn peace officers who take their responsibilities seriously, and they are entitled to a fair process.

“What we are seeing raises real questions about a rush to judgment, one that has already had the effect of maligning an entire profession without the facts being fully vetted.

“When cases begin to fall apart after being advanced so publicly, it is fair to ask whether the process itself was flawed from the outset, and what damage has already been done to the men and women who do this work every day.”

Importantly, Local 685’s attorney, Tom Yu, is already making an impact in defending our members and holding the system accountable. Speaking about one of the affected officers, Yu told the LA Times:

“There’s no words to describe what my client and his family went through.”

This is exactly why we fight.

We will continue to stand firmly behind our members, demand fairness, and push back against any effort that undermines the integrity of our profession.

More updates to come.

In solidarity,

AFSCME Local 685 Executive Board