Report uncovers racist comments made by sheriff Racially charged comments made by Howard County's sheriff outside the office have generated concern. The Howard County Office of Human Rights is substantiating claims that Sheriff James Fitzgerald created a hostile work environment and retaliated against deputies who didn't support his re-election. The OHR report sustains allegations that Fitzgerald has made derogatory comments about African-Americans, women and Jews. Share Shares Copy Link Copy

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WEBVTT HOWARD COUNTY SHERIFF JIM FITZGERALD RULES BY FEAR, TERROR AND RETALIATION. THAT'S WHAT FORMER AND CURRENT EMPLOYEES TOLD INVESTIGATORS IN THE HOWARD COUNTY OFFICE OF HUMAN RIGHTS. THE OHR LOOKING INTO A COMPLAINT FILED BY FORMER SHERIFF DEPUTY LT. CHARLES GABLE DETERMINED SHERIFF FITZGERALD SUBJECTED LT. GABLE TO A SEVERE AND PERVASIVE HOSTILE WORK ENVIRONMENT BECAUSE HE DID NOT SUPPORT HIS SECOND POLITICAL CAMPAIGN FOR SHERIFF. WITNESSES TOLD INVESTIGATORS HE'S ABOUT POWER AND REVENGE AND THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE IS A LOCKER ROOM MENTALITY IN UNIFORM. OHR INVESTIGATORS DETERMINED -- SUBSTANTIATED CLAIMS THAT SHERIFF FITZGERALD DEMEANS THE INTEGRITY OF A PERSON BY USING INAPPROPRIATE HUMOR BASED RACIAL STEREOTYPES. THE REPORT CITES SEVERAL EXAMPLES PROVIDED BY WITNESSES. HE OFTEN DESCRIBES AFRICAN AMERICANS AS THE N WORD. WHEN AN AFRICAN AMERICAN WALKED OVER TO A BUFFET, THE SHERIFF COMMENTED, THERE'S NO WATERMELON THERE FOR YOU. ON ANOTHER OCCASION WHILE EATING WITH A GROUP OF PEOPLE, HE TURNED TO A BLACK DEPUTY AND SARCASTICALLY REMARKED, ARE YOU GETTING THE CHICKEN SPECIAL? OHR REPORTS THAT THE SHERIFF TOLD A WITNESS THE AFRICAN AMERICAN DEPUTIES ARE NOT TOO SMART BUT THEY GET THE JOB DONE. OHR SAYS SHERIFF FITZGERALD TOLD THE AFRICAN AMERICAN PRESIDENT OF THE RETIRED POLICE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION, I VOTED FOR YOUR BOY, OBAMA. INVESTIGATORS SUSTAINED THAT SHERIFF FITZGERALD MADE DEROGATORY COMMENTS ABOUT FEMALE BREASTS. AND REFERRED TO HOWARD COUNTY'S PRIOR COUNTY EXECUTIVE KEN ULMAN AS A LITTLE KENNY JEW-BOY. EARLIER THIS YEAR, HOWARD COUNTY BUDGET ADMINISTRATORS DOCKED MORE THAN $7,000 FROM THE SHERIFF'S BUDGET FOR USING TAX DOLLARS TO PAY FIVE EMPLOYEES OF HIS OFFICE TO WORK ON HIS 2014 REELECTION CAMPAIGN. THE SHERIFF IS ACCUSED OF OTHER IMPROPRIETIES CITED IN A LAWSUIT BY HIS REPUBLICAN OPPONENT FOR SHERIFF. THE SUIT ALLEGES HE WASN'T SWORN INTO OFFICE AS REQUIRED BY THE STATE CONSTITUTION. IT QUESTIONS FITZGERALD GETTING A HOMESTEAD TAX CREDIT AFTER CLAIMING HIS OCEAN CITY HOME AS HIS PRINCIPAL ADDRES THE SHERIFF SENT A DEPUTY OUT TO TELL US HE'S NOT AVAILABLE FOR -- NOT INTERESTED IN DOING AN INTERVIEW AND HA NO COMMENT. THE STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S WHO REPRESENTS THE ELECTED POSITION OF SHERIFF, ISSUED A STATEMENT ON HIS BEHALF. IT SAYS, SHERIFF FITZGERALD ADAMANTLY DENIES EVER RETALIATING AGAINST EMPLOYEES WHO DID NOT SUPPORT HIS CAMPAIGN OR USING INAPPROPRIATE HUMOR BASED ON RACIAL STEROTYPES. THE SHERIFF DISAGREES WITH THE INVESTIGATION'S FINDINGS.

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