The agreement between the Department of Justice and the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office is now public.
The seven page memorandum of understanding, announced Monday, outlines steps the sheriff’s office will have to take to settle a racial discrimination complaint brought after deputies stopped and searched a bus of mostly Black athletes from Delaware State University last year.
DSU brought the complaint after deputies stopped a bus carrying the women’s lacrosse team. The bus was motoring along Interstate 95 through Liberty County on April 20, 2022 after playing at Stetson University the previous night in DeLand, Florida.
Deputies pulled over the bus for traveling improperly in the left lane. Deputies subsequently searched luggage stored in the compartment under the bus after a K9 officer “alerted” on the bus, but found no contraband.
More:Liberty County sheriff, DOJ agree on terms to settle discrimination case after bus stop
The agreement between the Department of Justice and LCSO includes the following key points:
- A review of LCSO policies, which already bans biased policing, to ensure the ban on discriminatory actions is clear;
- Offering a facilitated dialogue between LCSO and the students, driver and coaches involved in the traffic stop;
- LCSO will consult with DOJ to develop best practices on “working with the community, building partnerships, and improving communication”;
- Mandatory anti-bias training will continue to be required annually for all LCSO employees, and DOJ will review proposed training materials;
- While LCSO policies currently allow for collection and analysis of data, the department is working with Liberty County to secure a computer-based reporting system that would let them track racial demographics, use of canine units, searches and other traffic stop data;
- Once collected, the data will be analyzed quarterly and annually and made public with any indication of potential bias will be investigated by LCSO and the office will take steps to intervene; and,
- LCSO will review its complaint procedure, including how it notifies residents of the outcome of a complaint, and annually review its own accountability practices.
All elements of the memo will have to be implemented within two years, and LCSO will meet quarterly with the Department of Justice to discuss any further assistance from DOJ and to provide any additional information.
Liberty County Sheriff’s are not holding any press conferences or providing interviews regarding the memo, the department confirmed.
“Delaware State University continues to stand in solidarity with our players,” Carlos Holmes, director of news services for DSU, told the Savannah Morning News on Monday. “… We hope that the U.S. Department of Justice will closely monitor and evaluate the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office compliance with the terms of the agreement and if necessary re-open its investigation if the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office fails to meet its obligations.”
On Tuesday, Holmes said that he was unsure if any decision had been made about the offered meeting with LCSO, and said that several of the people on the bus had graduated or left the university in the intervening year.
Savannah Morning News reporter Latrice Williams contributed to this story.
