Lake County jail guard files discrimination lawsuit
A Gurnee man has filed a federal discrimination lawsuit against the Lake County sheriff's office claiming he was demoted because he is black.
Lance Ware, 54, said he was demoted from sergeant to corrections officer, and the reason given was his role in the Oct. 31, 2011, altercation in which Lake County jail guards seriously injured an inmate. But Ware claims he was not involved in the altercation involving Eugene Gruber.
Lake County Undersheriff Raymond Rose was unavailable for comment Wednesday.
In the lawsuit, Ware claims his participation in the altercation involved witnessing jail tactical officers bringing Gruber out of a shower, handing dry clothing to the officers, and following the officers as they carried Gruber to his cell.
He was one of several jail guards and officials who were disciplined in spring 2014, the lawsuit claims. However, the lawsuit states, none of the white tactical unit command officers who handled Gruber were disciplined. It also claims Ware and another black sergeant were the only command officers disciplined in connection with the altercation before May 2015.
The demotion resulted in health issues for Ware, including high blood pressure, headaches, depression and a stroke, the lawsuit states.
The suit requests Ware's rank be returned to sergeant, block the sheriff's office from discrimination in the future, pay the loss of wages from the demotion and make any compensatory damages.
Gruber fought with jail guards after the homeless man was arrested on disorderly conduct and trespassing charges and booked in Lake County jail in 2011, officials said.
Gruber and a guard fell during the skirmish, and Gruber suffered a spinal injury, officials said.
Despite Gruber's complaints about the injury, he was placed in a holding cell for 15 hours, authorities said. Gruber's cries of pain and complaints that he couldn't move his legs went unheeded, authorities said.
He died in March 2012 at a rehabilitation center in Chicago.
An administrative audit was conducted and resulted in three firings and disciplinary action against seven jail officials, officials said.
The audit was sent to the Lake County state's attorney's office for review, officials said. It resulted in criminal charges filed against two guards.
Rodney Holmes, 44, of Zion and Robert Schlesser, 49, of Round Lake Beach both denied the allegations of official misconduct for their role in the jail. Holmes' case remains in court, but Schlesser died months after the charges were filed against him.
The Ware case will be heard in federal court Jan. 22 in Chicago in front of Judge Joan Gottschall.