Corrections officers accused of sleeping on job violated for inappropriate relationship, report says

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — A six-month investigation at the Orange County Jail found violations involving seven of the eight corrections officers investigated.

The investigation began after an anonymous letter sounded the alarm about allegations of officers sleeping on the job, inappropriate relationships and supervisors showing favoritism, Channel 9's Janine Reyes learned.

The anonymous letter write said that some corrections officers were not “capable of working other dorms without falling asleep.” However, video could not be searched to verify those allegations because the letter did not have dates of violations, and the author could not be identified to answer follow up questions investigators had.

The internal affairs investigation inquiry began last May when Internal Affairs did find information to validate accusations. The investigation uncovered improper email exchanges, some that uncovered intimate relationships between supervisors and their subordinates.

One Corrections officer Cpl. Gavin Lugo, even told investigators he was "lucky Channel 9 had not pulled his emails."

In another email to a corrections officer, Lugo wrote, “How am I going to kiss you?”

The investigation revealed Lugo was accused of spending hours visiting friends in an area he was not designated to cover. The report found he was "inattentive to job responsibilities while on duty."

The investigation found former Lt. Robert Hyden, who is married to another correctional staff member, admitted he "violated policy by having an intimate relationship with a subordinate." That subordinate is not his wife, and the report reveals the two women clashed at work.Hyden admitted he loaned an subordinate $7,000 for surgery, the report said.

Hyden was also accused of spending excessive time in an area assigned to his subordinate, the report found. Staff members told investigators of “Lt. Hyden talking to officer Fallon all night and witnessed officer Fallon coming out of Lt. Hyden's office several times prior to clocking in."

Hyden was demoted to sergeant and has been reassigned to the booking and release center.

Two other officers were suspended without pay; three received a written reprimand and two officers did not receive discipline.

The jail has a staff of about 1,700 officers and about 1,100 are certified officers.  A spokesperson told Channel 9 there was no need for any change in policy, because those that violated the strict measures already in place were punished in this case.

Cox Media Group