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Morning Brief: LA County’s ‘Human Rights Disaster,’ Landlord Screenings, And Fortune Feimster
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Illustration by Dan Carino
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Good morning, L.A. It’s May 2.
Earlier this year, we published a story about L.A. Sheriff’s deputies working in county jails who allegedly ignored COVID-19 safety protocols and discouraged detainees from getting vaccinated.
Now, my colleagues Robert Garrova and Emily Elena Dugdale have found that problems with health care in local jails run much much deeper than that. They write:
Some current and former medical staff members describe a working environment that is dysfunctional, abusive and detrimental to providing health care. One county health care worker calls the situation in the jails a daily “human rights disaster.”
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Part of the problem seems to come from the top. The jails’ Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Sean Henderson, is currently named in two lawsuits, and has been called “sadistic” and “abusive” by former colleagues. Some of the complaints have been presented to the office of L.A. County Supervisor Hilda Solis, whose district includes the county jails.
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Several health care workers at the jail who spoke to Robert and Emily for the story asked to remain anonymous out of fear of retaliation. One current jail health care worker described conditions in which incarcerated people who need medical care are denied because deputies or medical staff members say they’re too dirty, might be lying about needing care, or are too difficult to remove from their cell.
The allegations come more than two decades after L.A. County was cited by the U.S. Department of Justice for mistreating and abusing incarcerated people suffering from mental illness.
Keep reading for more on what’s happening in L.A., and stay safe out there.
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What Else You Need To Know Today
- Some L.A. lawmakers want to prohibit landlord’s screening practices of renters, which have gotten increasingly intense in an already tough rental market..
- A scathing audit of five large California police departments — including the L.A. Sheriff's department — found evidence of officer bias against women, people of color, immigrants, and LGBTQ people, and there's no goal to improve.
- We take a look at how May Day — which typically draws huge crowds in L.A. — has evolved in the U.S. and examine where it all began.
- The owner of a now-shuttered Sun Valley funeral home is facing misdemeanor charges after allegedly failing to properly bury or cremate the remains of 11 people, including some infants.
- Want to really nail that wedding toast, or tell a great story at a dinner party? Here’s how.
Before You Go ... Netflix Is Putting Fortune Feimster In Everything
Fortune Feimster visits Build at Build Studio on Jan. 21, 2020 in New York City.
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Theo Wargo
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Getty Images
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Netflix is in the midst of promoting what it bills as an absolutely massive comedy festival, “Netflix is a Joke.” Among those on the docket is Fortune Feimster, who brings her gentle personality to the stage along with rapidly becoming one of the most high-profile LGBTQ+ comedians today.
My colleague Mike Roe spoke to Feimster about her plans for the festival, her upcoming appearances on the small screen, and what it feels like for the spotlight to be so bright.
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