CLAYTON, Mo. — The St. Louis County Director of Justice Services has resigned after 55 jail employees presented a letter of complaint to council members Tuesday night, outlining hostile work conditions and sparking an investigation.
Wednesday night, director Raul Banasco resigned, sources told 5 on Your Side Political Editor Casey Nolen. Banasco took over the job after four inmates died in custody, sparking protests outside the Clayton facility.
County leaders said they were investigating the complaints, and a spokesman for St. Louis County Executive Sam Page said that investigation would continue despite the resignation.
“There will be a full investigation into the personnel issues that have been raised,” the spokesman said.
A replacement could be named as early as Thursday.
The complaints came as county leaders rehabilitate the jail's operations and its image after four men died in custody last year.
"It is just creating an environment where people don't feel comfortable expressing concerns, and they are afraid for their jobs," Katie Doherty said.
A former county jail employee, Doherty won 2017 Employee of the Year from Justice Services during her tenure. She still keeps in contact with her former co-workers and says a lot's changed since she's left - but not for the better.
"There was more confidence in reporting people," Doherty said of the previous administrations. "I feel like there was a lot more security for whistleblowers."
Doherty's concerns mirror the allegations outlined in a letter from 55 employees with claims over overbearing management, favoritism, and generally a hostile workplace.
District 3 Councilmember Tim Fitch (R) said he received the first complaints one or two at a time several weeks ago, but soon more came through his inbox with common themes.
"As a person who has supervised others for more than 20 years, it is not unusual when you bring in a new director or a new manager of a unit to have some people with complaints," Fitch explained, adding "But they became more consistent, more of the same themes and once you start to get into that position, you think there is a systemic problem that needs to be dealt with."
The employees outline issues with the jail's new director, Raul Banasco, who was brought in after four inmates died in custody, sparking protests outside the Clayton facility. Now county leaders say they are investigating.
"Any time people are working in a difficult environment -- any time there is change -- there's going to be a lot of tension, and we're sensitive to that," County Executive Page (D) said. "We're going to review these concerns and see what we can learn from them."
Fitch said there is now a meeting with the Justice, Health, and Welfare Committee to investigate these claims, scheduled for Sept. 1.