WEBVTT NOTE duration:"00:05:26" NOTE recognizability:0.792 NOTE language:en-us NOTE Confidence: 0.699058205 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.035 When four juveniles escaped in NOTE Confidence: 0.699058205 00:00:03.035 --> 00:00:05.810 January from JIC, the Juvenile NOTE Confidence: 0.699058205 00:00:05.810 --> 00:00:07.710 Justice Intervention Center questions NOTE Confidence: 0.699058205 00:00:07.710 --> 00:00:10.547 quickly came up about how the jail NOTE Confidence: 0.699058205 00:00:10.547 --> 00:00:12.577 was run and who was running it. NOTE Confidence: 0.699058205 00:00:12.580 --> 00:00:13.717 Murrell was horrible. NOTE Confidence: 0.699058205 00:00:13.717 --> 00:00:15.612 Keyshawn Webster was the director NOTE Confidence: 0.699058205 00:00:15.612 --> 00:00:17.719 of the lockup in our series. NOTE Confidence: 0.699058205 00:00:17.720 --> 00:00:20.516 Juvenile crime behind the bars employee NOTE Confidence: 0.699058205 00:00:20.516 --> 00:00:23.548 after employee told us Webster could be NOTE Confidence: 0.699058205 00:00:23.548 --> 00:00:26.060 hard to find because he was never around. NOTE Confidence: 0.699058205 00:00:26.060 --> 00:00:27.570 When Webster was given the NOTE Confidence: 0.699058205 00:00:27.570 --> 00:00:29.080 keys to the juvenile jail, NOTE Confidence: 0.699058205 00:00:29.080 --> 00:00:31.360 an unusual outside work agreement. NOTE Confidence: 0.699058205 00:00:31.360 --> 00:00:33.298 The city allowed him to devote NOTE Confidence: 0.699058205 00:00:33.298 --> 00:00:35.967 up to five hours a week running NOTE Confidence: 0.699058205 00:00:35.967 --> 00:00:37.699 his Kenner insurance company. NOTE Confidence: 0.699058205 00:00:37.700 --> 00:00:39.812 Compassion Society benefits employees NOTE Confidence: 0.699058205 00:00:39.812 --> 00:00:43.889 say he was absent far more than that. NOTE Confidence: 0.725150765714286 00:00:44.000 --> 00:00:45.498 You can't go a week or two NOTE Confidence: 0.725150765714286 00:00:45.498 --> 00:00:47.268 at a time of not seeing him. NOTE Confidence: 0.762209899259259 00:00:47.550 --> 00:00:49.578 The reports we showed many instances NOTE Confidence: 0.762209899259259 00:00:49.578 --> 00:00:51.740 of out of control violence by NOTE Confidence: 0.762209899259259 00:00:51.740 --> 00:00:53.590 detainees that required an OPPD NOTE Confidence: 0.762209899259259 00:00:53.590 --> 00:00:55.533 to respond that included that NOTE Confidence: 0.762209899259259 00:00:55.533 --> 00:00:57.458 escape by the four juveniles. NOTE Confidence: 0.762209899259259 00:00:57.460 --> 00:00:59.416 On January 12th, members of the NOTE Confidence: 0.762209899259259 00:00:59.416 --> 00:01:01.449 police SWAT team spent the day NOTE Confidence: 0.762209899259259 00:01:01.449 --> 00:01:02.777 rounding up the escapees. NOTE Confidence: 0.762209899259259 00:01:02.780 --> 00:01:04.345 But not before they carjacked NOTE Confidence: 0.762209899259259 00:01:04.345 --> 00:01:05.910 a woman near the lockup, NOTE Confidence: 0.698986427142857 00:01:05.960 --> 00:01:09.997 one youth accessed a swipe card and allowed NOTE Confidence: 0.698986427142857 00:01:09.997 --> 00:01:13.056 the other youth out of their cells. NOTE Confidence: 0.698986427142857 00:01:13.060 --> 00:01:16.378 That was Keyshawn Webster on January 13th, NOTE Confidence: 0.698986427142857 00:01:16.380 --> 00:01:18.172 standing right here addressing NOTE Confidence: 0.698986427142857 00:01:18.172 --> 00:01:20.412 the media after the escapes, NOTE Confidence: 0.698986427142857 00:01:20.420 --> 00:01:22.406 but something else happened on that NOTE Confidence: 0.698986427142857 00:01:22.406 --> 00:01:24.840 day that has never been made public. NOTE Confidence: 0.872955389090909 00:01:24.950 --> 00:01:26.960 This letter obtained by Channel 4 NOTE Confidence: 0.872955389090909 00:01:26.960 --> 00:01:28.820 through a public records request, NOTE Confidence: 0.872955389090909 00:01:28.820 --> 00:01:30.855 a notice of Webster's termination NOTE Confidence: 0.872955389090909 00:01:30.855 --> 00:01:33.500 by the city. As you can see. NOTE Confidence: 0.872955389090909 00:01:33.500 --> 00:01:36.012 It was written on CEO Gilbert Montano's NOTE Confidence: 0.872955389090909 00:01:36.012 --> 00:01:38.304 letterhead on behalf of the mayor. NOTE Confidence: 0.872955389090909 00:01:38.310 --> 00:01:39.560 I'll come to find out NOTE Confidence: 0.800687365555556 00:01:39.630 --> 00:01:43.392 the administration was set to fire him with a NOTE Confidence: 0.943931046666667 00:01:43.410 --> 00:01:46.425 termination letter that was never NOTE Confidence: 0.943931046666667 00:01:46.425 --> 00:01:47.718 delivered. What do you make NOTE Confidence: 0.7246612576 00:01:47.730 --> 00:01:49.540 of that? I don't know. NOTE Confidence: 0.7246612576 00:01:49.540 --> 00:01:50.640 It's a huge surprise. NOTE Confidence: 0.7246612576 00:01:50.640 --> 00:01:52.605 I don't know that I've seen a NOTE Confidence: 0.7246612576 00:01:52.605 --> 00:01:54.669 mayor send a letter to one of the NOTE Confidence: 0.7246612576 00:01:54.669 --> 00:01:56.390 department heads saying you're gone. NOTE Confidence: 0.7246612576 00:01:56.390 --> 00:01:57.934 Ordinarily, it's either somebody's NOTE Confidence: 0.7246612576 00:01:57.934 --> 00:01:59.864 leaving of their own accord, NOTE Confidence: 0.7246612576 00:01:59.870 --> 00:02:01.378 or there's a resignation. NOTE Confidence: 0.5073481884 00:02:01.470 --> 00:02:03.700 Councilman Joe Giarusso is right. NOTE Confidence: 0.5073481884 00:02:03.700 --> 00:02:05.548 For executive employees, NOTE Confidence: 0.5073481884 00:02:05.548 --> 00:02:06.780 sudden dismissals, NOTE Confidence: 0.5073481884 00:02:06.780 --> 00:02:08.356 even for major blunders, NOTE Confidence: 0.5073481884 00:02:08.356 --> 00:02:10.720 usually in the come of forced NOTE Confidence: 0.5073481884 00:02:10.801 --> 00:02:12.929 resignations with the forced NOTE Confidence: 0.5073481884 00:02:12.929 --> 00:02:14.525 part remaining hidden. NOTE Confidence: 0.911755723333333 00:02:14.620 --> 00:02:16.936 But this letter was never delivered. NOTE Confidence: 0.911755723333333 00:02:16.940 --> 00:02:18.700 We asked for an explanation, NOTE Confidence: 0.911755723333333 00:02:18.700 --> 00:02:20.868 but received no response. NOTE Confidence: 0.853824884 00:02:20.940 --> 00:02:23.532 They go to the trouble of drafting that NOTE Confidence: 0.853824884 00:02:23.532 --> 00:02:25.937 letter and not presenting it to them. NOTE Confidence: 0.853824884 00:02:25.940 --> 00:02:28.397 I think the public is held an NOTE Confidence: 0.853824884 00:02:28.397 --> 00:02:30.199 explanation as to the city. NOTE Confidence: 0.853824884 00:02:30.200 --> 00:02:32.300 Why they elected not to do that? NOTE Confidence: 0.853824884 00:02:32.300 --> 00:02:33.460 Rafael Goyeneche of NOTE Confidence: 0.884644315 00:02:33.460 --> 00:02:35.280 the Metropolitan Crime Commission NOTE Confidence: 0.884644315 00:02:35.280 --> 00:02:36.996 says that even with the city's NOTE Confidence: 0.884644315 00:02:36.996 --> 00:02:38.902 silence on the matter, the letter NOTE Confidence: 0.884644315 00:02:38.902 --> 00:02:41.569 does reveal one thing loud and clear NOTE Confidence: 0.8410073 00:02:41.680 --> 00:02:43.648 speaks volumes about. NOTE Confidence: 0.879149795 00:02:46.090 --> 00:02:47.790 At least from the city's NOTE Confidence: 0.879149795 00:02:47.790 --> 00:02:49.250 perspective, his failure NOTE Confidence: 0.83099902 00:02:49.350 --> 00:02:51.030 instead of getting fired, NOTE Confidence: 0.83099902 00:02:51.030 --> 00:02:53.130 Webster remained the jail's director, NOTE Confidence: 0.83099902 00:02:53.130 --> 00:02:55.218 at least on paper, NOTE Confidence: 0.83099902 00:02:55.218 --> 00:02:58.378 continuing to collect his $143,000 a year NOTE Confidence: 0.83099902 00:02:58.378 --> 00:03:00.870 annual salary for more than two months, NOTE Confidence: 0.83099902 00:03:00.870 --> 00:03:02.538 even after he took a leave NOTE Confidence: 0.83099902 00:03:02.538 --> 00:03:03.650 of absence in March, NOTE Confidence: 0.83099902 00:03:03.650 --> 00:03:06.236 City Records show he was paid NOTE Confidence: 0.83099902 00:03:06.236 --> 00:03:08.118 another $21,000 under the guidelines NOTE Confidence: 0.83099902 00:03:08.118 --> 00:03:10.290 of the family Medical Leave Act. NOTE Confidence: 0.83099902 00:03:10.290 --> 00:03:12.186 We reached out to Webster several NOTE Confidence: 0.83099902 00:03:12.186 --> 00:03:14.119 times but have received no response NOTE Confidence: 0.5120750875 00:03:14.400 --> 00:03:16.270 he's dealing with. Personal matter, NOTE Confidence: 0.5120750875 00:03:16.270 --> 00:03:19.648 so I appreciate that I saw Doctor NOTE Confidence: 0.5120750875 00:03:19.648 --> 00:03:22.290 Webster at a track meet on Saturday, NOTE Confidence: 0.737271691428571 00:03:22.400 --> 00:03:24.284 even as the City Council probes NOTE Confidence: 0.737271691428571 00:03:24.284 --> 00:03:26.094 several critical issues at JIC, NOTE Confidence: 0.737271691428571 00:03:26.094 --> 00:03:27.979 including how the staff dwindled NOTE Confidence: 0.737271691428571 00:03:27.979 --> 00:03:30.820 to half of its budgeted strength, NOTE Confidence: 0.737271691428571 00:03:30.820 --> 00:03:32.050 Webster's direct supervisors NOTE Confidence: 0.737271691428571 00:03:32.050 --> 00:03:33.280 using family directors, NOTE Confidence: 0.737271691428571 00:03:33.280 --> 00:03:35.120 Emily Wolfe and Homeland Security NOTE Confidence: 0.737271691428571 00:03:35.120 --> 00:03:37.328 chief John Thomas sat in front NOTE Confidence: 0.737271691428571 00:03:37.328 --> 00:03:39.456 of them at a hearing offering no NOTE Confidence: 0.737271691428571 00:03:39.456 --> 00:03:41.426 hint that Webster had been on NOTE Confidence: 0.737271691428571 00:03:41.426 --> 00:03:43.364 the verge of getting canned for NOTE Confidence: 0.79919902 00:03:43.380 --> 00:03:45.304 him not to be present to comment. NOTE Confidence: 0.79919902 00:03:45.304 --> 00:03:47.354 On how things happened under his NOTE Confidence: 0.79919902 00:03:47.354 --> 00:03:49.698 tenure, there is very troubling. NOTE Confidence: 0.865364427777778 00:03:49.770 --> 00:03:50.889 Webster finally resigned NOTE Confidence: 0.865364427777778 00:03:50.889 --> 00:03:53.127 from the city on April 29th, NOTE Confidence: 0.865364427777778 00:03:53.130 --> 00:03:54.894 but he would quickly pop up again NOTE Confidence: 0.865364427777778 00:03:54.894 --> 00:03:56.750 at the sight of newly elected NOTE Confidence: 0.865364427777778 00:03:56.750 --> 00:03:58.480 Sheriff Susan Hudson from her NOTE Confidence: 0.865364427777778 00:03:58.480 --> 00:03:59.850 inauguration and throughout the NOTE Confidence: 0.865364427777778 00:03:59.850 --> 00:04:02.027 first couple of weeks of her tenure, NOTE Confidence: 0.865364427777778 00:04:02.030 --> 00:04:04.725 Webster was introduced around the adult jail. NOTE Confidence: 0.865364427777778 00:04:04.730 --> 00:04:06.418 The Orleans Justice Center, NOTE Confidence: 0.865364427777778 00:04:06.418 --> 00:04:08.528 even running meetings for Hudson, NOTE Confidence: 0.865364427777778 00:04:08.530 --> 00:04:10.918 then Justice Channel 4 began airing NOTE Confidence: 0.865364427777778 00:04:10.918 --> 00:04:12.510 its findings about Webster's NOTE Confidence: 0.865364427777778 00:04:12.574 --> 00:04:14.129 Rocky three years at JIC. NOTE Confidence: 0.865364427777778 00:04:14.130 --> 00:04:15.120 He left, NOTE Confidence: 0.8959058 00:04:15.170 --> 00:04:17.535 so we went. From being NOTE Confidence: 0.8959058 00:04:17.535 --> 00:04:19.900 there on a daily basis. NOTE Confidence: 0.8959058 00:04:19.900 --> 00:04:23.509 Presiding over meetings. NOTE Confidence: 0.8959058 00:04:23.510 --> 00:04:26.780 To mysteriously disappearing NOTE Confidence: 0.881282171428571 00:04:26.840 --> 00:04:28.807 in Hudson's first week on the job, NOTE Confidence: 0.881282171428571 00:04:28.810 --> 00:04:30.798 her spokesman issued this NOTE Confidence: 0.881282171428571 00:04:30.798 --> 00:04:32.289 statement about Webster. NOTE Confidence: 0.881282171428571 00:04:32.290 --> 00:04:33.930 The sheriff considers Dr Webster, NOTE Confidence: 0.881282171428571 00:04:33.930 --> 00:04:35.708 a friend, and a valued partner in NOTE Confidence: 0.881282171428571 00:04:35.708 --> 00:04:37.449 the fight for criminal justice. NOTE Confidence: 0.881282171428571 00:04:37.450 --> 00:04:39.175 He volunteered his expertise during NOTE Confidence: 0.881282171428571 00:04:39.175 --> 00:04:41.270 her transition and she is very NOTE Confidence: 0.881282171428571 00:04:41.270 --> 00:04:43.447 thankful for his help during that time. NOTE Confidence: 0.881282171428571 00:04:43.450 --> 00:04:46.348 Beyond that, he has not been hired NOTE Confidence: 0.881282171428571 00:04:46.348 --> 00:04:48.628 by her administration at this time. NOTE Confidence: 0.881282171428571 00:04:48.630 --> 00:04:50.322 For weeks, we've been asking Hudson NOTE Confidence: 0.881282171428571 00:04:50.322 --> 00:04:52.470 to expand on that initial statement. NOTE Confidence: 0.881282171428571 00:04:52.470 --> 00:04:54.647 What was Webster's? Role at the jail. NOTE Confidence: 0.881282171428571 00:04:54.650 --> 00:04:56.211 How come he doesn't show up in NOTE Confidence: 0.881282171428571 00:04:56.211 --> 00:04:58.089 any of her transition documents? NOTE Confidence: 0.881282171428571 00:04:58.090 --> 00:05:01.740 Was he paid, and if so, who paid him? NOTE Confidence: 0.902124515714285 00:05:01.790 --> 00:05:03.743 The only person that can tell you NOTE Confidence: 0.902124515714285 00:05:03.743 --> 00:05:05.720 that is going to be the Sheriff, NOTE Confidence: 0.930278103076923 00:05:05.770 --> 00:05:08.549 Sheriff Hudson, who campaigned on a promise NOTE Confidence: 0.930278103076923 00:05:08.549 --> 00:05:10.818 of transparency has not responded to NOTE Confidence: 0.9363183 00:05:10.830 --> 00:05:12.768 my multiple requests for an interview. NOTE Confidence: 0.9363183 00:05:12.770 --> 00:05:14.794 I promised community leadership. NOTE Confidence: 0.9363183 00:05:14.794 --> 00:05:16.818 I promised community accountability, NOTE Confidence: 0.763926727615385 00:05:16.870 --> 00:05:18.480 even our formal public records NOTE Confidence: 0.763926727615385 00:05:18.480 --> 00:05:19.768 requests about Webster have NOTE Confidence: 0.763926727615385 00:05:19.768 --> 00:05:21.680 been met with science access. NOTE Confidence: 0.763926727615385 00:05:21.690 --> 00:05:26.000 Mike Perlstein, Eyewitness News. Yes.