Two Pima County corrections officers who were fired in late October are back working at the jail after reaching a settlement with the sheriff's department last week, officials said.
Alexandra Barajas and Bryan Melton were fired from the Pima County Sheriff's Department on Oct. 24, after an internal investigation showed โpervasive and inappropriate lewd behaviorโ between the twoย while on-duty at the jail, according to documents from theย Pima County Merit System Commission.
The pair was placed on administrative leave without pay on Sept. 8, while the sheriff's department investigated the claims against them. Barajas and Melton immediately appealed the suspensions with the Merit Commission and were fired while awaiting hearing, documents show.
During the Merit Commission's Jan. 4 meeting, Barajas and Melton's attorney, Mike Storie, came to an agreement with the sheriff's department, allowing the pair to receive suspensions without pay in lieu of being fired, said Wendy Petersen,ย deputy director of Pima County Human Resources.
The suspensions were in effect through Jan. 8, and Barajas and Melton have since returned to work, said Deputy Cody Gress, a sheriff's department spokesman.
The department's investigation into Barajas and Melton began in July, after it was reported that the two had been spotted โtouching, petting, kissing and holding handsโ while on duty and in front of inmates and staff, according to the documents.
Investigators also learned that the the pair left their assigned posts without permission, missed mandatory inmate welfare checks, abused their breaks, failed to administer medications and didn't "properly, truthfully and completely" document records and incidents.
Melton's suspension notice also said that he used unnecessary and unprovoked force on a juvenile inmate, and mentioned that he'd been involved in "horseplay" with more than one female corrections officer.
Sheriff Mark Napier said that the settlement came after the department's lawyers determined there was a good chance that the Merit Commission would rule in favor of Barajas and Melton.
"As an alternative to a long hearing process with an uncertain outcome, the employees agreed to a substantial unpaid suspension and a very rigid last chance employment agreement," Napier said. "It was the best judgment of the department to accept this in consideration of the totality of the circumstances."
