The union representing Sangamon County sheriff’s deputies is asking that former deputy Sean Grayson, charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of Sonya Massey, be reinstated and reimbursed for any lost wages.
The Illinois Fraternal Order of Police Labor Council filed a grievance July 18 against the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Department. The grievance said Grayson, 30, of Riverton, was “terminated without just cause.”
The sheriff’s department fired Grayson on July 17, the same day criminal charges of murder, aggravated battery with a firearm and official misconduct in Massey’s July 6 death were handed down by a Sangamon County grand jury. Grayson has pleaded not guilty and is being held at the Menard County Jail in Petersburg.
Sheriff Jack Campbell said in a statement on July 17: “It is clear that the deputy did not act as trained or in accordance with our standards. Therefore, Sean Grayson’s employment with the Sheriff's Office has been terminated.”
But the FOP said in its grievance that the sheriff’s department “publicly disseminated details of the investigation and termination on Facebook.”
The firing without just cause, the department’s dissemination of details of the investigation on Facebook, and the department’s firing of Grayson before giving him or the union prior notice, all violated terms of the union’s collective-bargaining agreement with the county, according to the FOP.
A spokesperson for the county didn’t reply when asked to comment on the grievance.
“Just cause” refers to terms in labor contracts that generally require employers considering firing workers to first give them fair notice of any performance issues, the opportunity to address those issues and valid reasons for discharge.
Labor contracts can allow situations in which an employer can impose immediate discipline, including firing, when there are flagrant violations in rules of conduct.
Illinois is considered an “at-will” state, which means an employer can fire a worker at any time, without giving a reason or cause, unless the worker is protected by “just cause” provisions in a union or employment contract.
Grievances can be resolved through negotiations between employers and unions. If settlements cannot be reached by agreement, the matter can proceed to binding arbitration.
Illinois Times asked the FOP why it requested reinstatement for Grayson, whose conduct in connection with Massey’s death is detailed in video footage from body-worn cameras that has attracted national attention. The grievance also seeks reinstatement of all lost wages, restoration of all lost benefits and any other “appropriate relief.”
Tamara Cummings, the Illinois FOP Labor Council’s general counsel, responded with a statement: “As a labor organization, we have an obligation to protect our members’ procedural and due-process rights contained in the collective bargaining agreement. Those rights come with very strict timelines. In light of the pending criminal matter, I have no further comment.”
Grayson's annual salary from the Sangamon sheriff's department was $56,234, according to county records.
Dean Olsen, a senior staff writer for Illinois Times, can be reached at [email protected], 217-836-1068, or x.com/DeanOlsenIT.
