With Delaware County’s proposed 23 percent tax increase set to be voted on this week, and with the county’s legal fees playing a role in that increase, Broad + Liberty is providing this overview of the many pending legal cases in which the county is involved. It is intended only as an overview, and not as a comprehensive list.

Estate of Elliot Funkhouser, Sr., v. Delaware County — Funkhouser Sr. was allegedly murdered in his cell by another cellmate on or about April 22, 2024. Funkhouser’s estate is suing the county and the jail oversight board, saying they “placed Elliott Funkhouser in grave harm, [and] are liable in their individual capacities for the injuries sustained.”

As Broad + Liberty previously reported, a guard who is no longer with the facility claims that an employee in the prison put Funkhouser and his cellmate, Shad Bocella, in a cell together despite knowledge that both men were dangerous to others.

Owens v. Delaware County — Janet Owens is suing the county in the wake of her son’s death at the George W. Hill Correctional Facility in June 2022. Andrew Little took his own life in his cell. As Broad + Liberty previously reported, there were known operational problems with the door to Little’s cell. The door malfunctioned on the day of the emergency, costing precious minutes of response time.

Anderson-Myles v. Delaware County — Abdel Anderson-Myles was an inmate at the George W. Hill Correctional Facility in August 2022, when he says he was assaulted and stabbed by another inmate. Anderson-Myles alleges some guards goaded the attacker and then looked the other way.

Bonsall v. Delaware County — Maille Bonsall’s sex discrimination suit against the county arises from the Timothy Boyce scandal. Boyce was the head of the county’s department of emergency services and allegedly engaged in sexually inappropriate behavior over the course of many years, including remarks, unwanted touching, and sharing lewd photos in the office.

Kahler v. Delaware County — Similar to Bonsall. Complaint.

Delaware County Prison Employees Independent Union v. Delaware County — The union alleges that when the management of the prison was transferred from privately run to government run, the county “systematically targeted roughly sixty-eight (68) individuals who they terminated absent any notice, hearing, charge, or due process whatsoever.” 

Easterling v. Delaware County —  Darick Easterling was an employee of the county prison. He worked at the prison for the GEO Group before the county took over management of the facility in 2022. Easterling claims under GEO he was given accommodations under the Family and Medical Leave Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act for a medical condition. He claims he no longer receives those accommodations under the county’s management. 

Amouzou v. Delaware County — Komla Amouzou was an employee of the county prison before the county took over management of the facility in 2022. In the complaint, Amouzou and his attorneys say he was offered a job in March of 2022, only to have that offer rescinded in April. The county said its decision was motivated by a prior disciplinary action under GEO; Amouzou disputes that, and says the county’s decision to rescind the employment offer “was not justified by any facts, but rather was motivated by Mr. Amouzou’s race.”

Johnson v. Delaware County — Albert Johnson Sr. is the named plaintiff in this class action lawsuit that alleges the county is violating the rights of unionized correctional officers by not automatically deducting dues payments from paychecks.

Hampton v. Delaware County — Danakelly Hampton was hired into the county’s medical examiner’s office in August 2021. She says county officials, in league with top police officers in the various municipalities throughout the county, pushed her out of office because of their inherent racism. Hampton also claims after her employment was severed, the county put her picture on a memo alerting county employees that she was not allowed access to Fair Acres. Hampton claims the memo’s style, “is highly reminiscent of a law enforcement ‘Wanted Poster’ [that]implies a [person is a] suspect or person of interest in a criminal investigation.” She says the county’s actions have prevented her from gaining employment elsewhere.

S.G. v. Delaware County — S.G. is a pseudonym for a person who was underage at the time of the alleged events. S.G.’s lawsuit is one of a handful that have arisen out of the juvenile detention facility scandal that first broke in 2021. Although news of the problems with the facility didn’t break until 2021, the allegations of physical, mental, and sexual abuse dates back many years.

Baldini v. Delaware County — John Baldini alleges he was terminated from the county’s public defender’s office because of age discrimination. 

Papi v. Delaware County — Similar to Baldini. Complaint.

Todd Shepherd is Broad + Liberty’s chief investigative reporter. Send him tips at tshepherd@broadandliberty.com, or use his encrypted email at shepherdreports@protonmail.com. @shepherdreports