Who:
Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office
Professional Standards Bureau
- Administrative Investigation Division

Deputy Jorge A. Lopez
Age: 30
Date of Hire: 03/24/2014
Termination Effective: 04/20/2018

What:
A detention deputy was terminated for harassing a fellow co-worker, discrimination and creating a racially hostile work environment.

When:
The incident took place on Sunday, January 14, 2018.

The deputy was terminated effective Friday, April 20, 2018.

Where:
The incident occurred at the Pinellas County Jail located at 14400 49^th Street North, in Clearwater.

Why/How:
A detention deputy was terminated for harassing a fellow co-worker, discrimination and creating a racially hostile work environment.

According to the administrative investigation, on January 14, 2018, Deputy Jorge Lopez was working in a maximum security housing area of the Pinellas County Jail when he initiated conversation with a white co-worker and inquired if an African American deputy who was assigned to the area, was currently on the floor.

Investigators say Deputy Lopez told the white co-worker, “Well there’s a lot of niggers on this floor.” Witnesses told investigators that Lopez referred to the inmates as “Stupid niggers”, and said “The niggers behind the gates need to control themselves.”

The white deputy told Lopez that he was offended by his inappropriate language. The deputy told Lopez not to use the word in his presence.

Investigators say Lopez repeated the word multiple times and directed his aggressive behavior towards the deputy calling him a “nigger” and referred to the white deputy as, “an inmate nigger lover.”

Investigators say the deputy told Lopez multiple times to stop but Lopez continued with the inappropriate and derogatory behavior.  At one point, Lopez asked a third deputy if he knew the deputy he was speaking to was a “nigger lover?” Lopez’s behavior continued until the co-worker left the room. 

During the course of the Administrative Investigation, Lopez admitted to the allegations and admitted to using racial slurs while working at the jail prior to this incident.

As a result of the investigation, the Administrative Review Board determined that Lopez violated Sheriff’s Office policy and he was terminated effective Friday, April 20, 2018.