Michigan County Whose Sheriff Insulted Women, Minorities Settles Lawsuit for $1.65M

JACKSON, Mich. (AP) – A Michigan county has agreed to pay $1.65 million to settle a lawsuit by a sheriff’s officer who said he suffered on the job, especially after secretly recording a sheriff making insulting remarks about women and minorities.

Steve Rand, who was Jackson County sheriff, acknowledged the remarks when they became public in 2018 but declined to resign. He didn’t run for reelection in 2020.

In 2017, Lt. Tommy Schuette began recording command meetings attended by Rand, who made racist remarks about Blacks, insulted LGBTQ+ and used a sexual pejorative to describe a judge, according to a lawsuit filed in federal court.

Schuette said he shared the recordings with a county official who then asked state police to investigate Schuette, not the sheriff, according to the lawsuit.

Schuette, who has hearing loss, said Rand referred to him as “deaf and dumb.” He accused the county of a hostile work environment.

His lawsuit was headed to trial this week, but Jackson County settled it for $1. 65 million, which includes a portion for Schuette’s lawyer, the Detroit Free Press reported Friday after obtaining the agreement under a public records request.

The county denied any wrongdoing and described the settlement as a ”compromise of zealously disputed facts.”

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declined three times to remove Rand from office at the request of the county. A separate effort to recall him from office didn’t get to the ballot.