Seven current and former inmates in the city workhouse filed a federal class-action lawsuit today, alleging that guards forced them to engage in gladiator-style combat for entertainment and to punish other inmates.
According to the court filing, guards threatened them, took away their food and privileges, and attacked them if they did not agree to fight. The plaintiffs also allege that they endured serious injuries, including a broken jaw, and never received medical attention.
Known as the “Workhouse Gladiators” the plaintiffs filed a three-count federal class action lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri and are seeking injunctive relief, along with punitive damages of $100 million.
City officials named in the lawsuit include Eddie Roth, medium security institution commissioner, Dale Glass, director of public safety for the City of St. Louis, and Mayor Francis Slay.
The four attorneys representing the plaintiffs are hoping to get the inmates transferred out of the jail as soon as possible for their protection.
“We know they are withholding meals to one inmate,” said Attorney Ryan Smith. “Other inmates are telling them to ‘Watch your back, the guards have it out for you.’”
Smith said he hopes to have the request to transfer the inmates entertained by Monday.
The brutal practice was exposed following the recent arrest of correctional officers Dexter Brinson and Elvis Howard who have also been named in the class action complaint. According to the criminal complaints filed against Brinson and Howard, they were caught on prison security cameras escorting Plaintiff Thaddeus Dumas to the cell of Plaintiff Derrick Rodgers for the purpose of watching them fight.
Following the arrests of Brinson and Howard, the other named plaintiffs came forward to report that they too had been forced to fight or had been brutally attacked by City Correctional Officers.
“Based on the information we have, this is something that has been going on for a long time,” said Freeman Bosley Jr., one of the attorneys for the plaintiffs. “We are already up to number seven in plaintiffs. We thought to really let people know how important the issue is and to stand up for the people everywhere – no matter if you are in jail or out of jail – that the class action lawsuit was the best way to go.”