A federal judge awarded a former employee of the Delaware County prison just over $200,000 in lost pay after a jury concluded the county failed to provide him with many of the  accommodations he needed in order to continue to work in the face of medical difficulties.

Darick Easterling had served as an officer at the George W. Hill Correctional Facility stretching back to when the prison was still privately run by the GEO Group. In his complaint he and his attorneys say in 2020 he requested accommodations from GEO for his medical conditions, and that the prison operator, “granted Plaintiff’s request for this accommodation, and never hassled or retaliated against him about his [Americans with Disabilities Act] request.”

In the spring of 2022, the county deprivatized the facility and took back day-to-day management for the first time in roughly three decades. 

When the management changed hands, Easterling says he was asked to work a double shift, or sixteen consecutive hours. 

“When Plaintiff advised his supervisors that Plaintiff had a doctor’s note and medical accommodation to work a maximum of 12 hours (i.e. 1-½ shifts), Plaintiff was told to still work the double shift, or he would be written up, disciplined and docked pay.”

Easterling then says he did try to work the back-to-back shifts, but that only created such pain that he went to urgent care.

The judge only awarded Easterling $1 for compensatory damages, a category covering things like emotional distress, suffering, or humiliation. Although this reporter did not attend the trial, the award would appear to be a way for the judge to give Easterling a win in general while sending a message that the emotional aspect of the case was minimal.

Despite that, the judge sent a clear message that the county had erred in its handling of Easterling’s requests for accommodations. 

“Delaware County shall pay plaintiff $1 in compensatory damages, $92,690.30 in back pay damages, $4,538.12 in prejudgment interest, and $105,347.96 in front pay damages, for a total of $202,577.38,” the judge’s memorandum said. 

Just last year, the county survived a similar suit by another former guard from the facility, Jamillah Trainer.

Trainer, like Easterling, claimed the county had violated her rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act, and other provisions of U.S. law. Both the Easterling and Trainer lawsuits were filed in 2023, but Trainer’s losing verdict came in June 2024.

It’s unclear if insurance will cover any portion of the verdict, and the county did not respond to a request for comment.

Meanwhile, the county is facing numerous other lawsuits related to the GWHCF since it took over management in 2022.

Mandatory back-to-back shifts have been an issue since the county took over. 

Previously, under GEO, officers could take the second shift and split those eight hours with another employee, a technique called “shift splits.” With a split shift, the two employees then work twelve hours a piece, rather than the original employee having to work sixteen consecutive hours.

When the county assumed management, it did away with split shifts, a decision that caused a steep loss in morale, according to sources with in-depth knowledge of the facility who spoke to Broad + Liberty for a previous report.

The county has recently concluded negotiations with the independent union representing correctional workers, and split shifts were not provided in the new contract, according to a single source. It is currently unclear if the contract is signed and finalized at present, and the county declined to comment on the status of the contract in previous outreach.

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