ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Channel 9 discovered an Orange County corrections officer who was fired amid sexual harrassment claims and then rehired is under investigation again.
In 2008, women came forward with accusations against corrections officer Vernon Hooks. He was later cleared and allowed to return to his job.
But now a new investigation has prompted Orange County jail officials to reassign Hooks. The investigation comes after a complaint was filed against him in the past few weeks.
Hooks was fired years ago stemming from sexual harrassment complaints. He was found to be in violation of several standards at the jail. But in 2009, the ruling was overturned and Hooks was allowed back to work as an officer, not a supervisor.
Jail officials won't comment on the details of the latest investigation. But law enforcement sources told Eyewitness News the new allegations are very similar to the previous ones.
The new complaint comes just as Hooks is about to face a civil trial. Toni Giddens has filed a lawsuit against Hooks, claiming she was sexually harrassed by him in 2008. She's blaming Hooks and Orange County for not doing enough to stop the alleged harrassment.
Hooks has been reassigned pending the outcome of the latest investigation.
WFTV
