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Washington State DOC Guard Terminated For Sexually Assaulting Prisoner
Ex Washington State Department of Corrections guard Dondia Lenoir appealed his termination for sexually assaulting a female prisoner and failing to file a report while on home leave. His termination was affirmed for the sexual assault.
Lenoir worked at the Washington Corrections Center for Women (WCCW) in 1995 when he coerced a female prisoner into attending a meeting where only the two were present. He kissed her. He assaulted her on another occasion in an empty classroom by pulling down her pants and inserting his penis through a hole in his uniform pants. After being assaulted again she put her fears of retaliation aside and reported the incidents to her attorney who represented her in an incident with another prisoner. An investigation ensued and Lenoir was placed on home leave and asked to prepare a report for the unrelated prisoner altercation incident which he did not do in compliance with procedure, resulting in another misconduct report. Lerioir's holes in his uniform pants corroborated the allegations and he was terminated. He appealed contesting his home phone conversations use in the proceedings and the lie detector test results which were both disallowed.
The Washington State Personnel Appeals Board affirmed the termination for the sexual assaults due to Lenoir's lies regarding his past offenses and because of a preponderance of evidence. The Board held that his gross misconduct was so egregious as to warrant "the most severe discipline" available. See: Lenoir v. Department of Corrections, Case No. DISM 96 0067 (Wa. PAB Oct. 25, 1999).
Lenoir worked at the Washington Corrections Center for Women (WCCW) in 1995 when he coerced a female prisoner into attending a meeting where only the two were present. He kissed her. He assaulted her on another occasion in an empty classroom by pulling down her pants and inserting his penis through a hole in his uniform pants. After being assaulted again she put her fears of retaliation aside and reported the incidents to her attorney who represented her in an incident with another prisoner. An investigation ensued and Lenoir was placed on home leave and asked to prepare a report for the unrelated prisoner altercation incident which he did not do in compliance with procedure, resulting in another misconduct report. Lerioir's holes in his uniform pants corroborated the allegations and he was terminated. He appealed contesting his home phone conversations use in the proceedings and the lie detector test results which were both disallowed.
The Washington State Personnel Appeals Board affirmed the termination for the sexual assaults due to Lenoir's lies regarding his past offenses and because of a preponderance of evidence. The Board held that his gross misconduct was so egregious as to warrant "the most severe discipline" available. See: Lenoir v. Department of Corrections, Case No. DISM 96 0067 (Wa. PAB Oct. 25, 1999).
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