TEP Foundation Completes LGBTQ training of Shelby County Sheriff Officers

Tennessee Equality Project Foundation completed a series of four LGBTQ cultural competency classes for the upper command staff and academy instructors of the Shelby County Sheriff Department today. The training is designed to empower Shelby County Sheriff officers to provide professional and respectful treatment of the public without bias toward  LGBTQ people. Over 100 staff attended the training over two weeks. TEP Foundation certified Sheriff Academy instructors in the diversity course one week ago. Those instructors will train law enforcement and correctional officers in the coming year.

TEP Foundation's relationship with the Shelby County Sheriff Department began in December 2011 when a group of Sheriff Academy corrections graduates received a half-day training in LGBTQ cultural competency. A renewed interest in the training followed Shelby County Sheriff participation in the Community Police Relations (CPR) project - a "partnership between citizens and law enforcement officers that is challenging both groups to overcome their differences and distrust to work together on the deepest problems of our community."

Duanna Johnson

One of the CPR forums organized by the Midsouth Peace and Justice Center focused on the concerns of LGBTQ residents in Shelby County. Members of the community in Memphis and Shelby County reported anti-LGBTQ bias and disparate treatment during police stops and in correctional facilities. Law enforcement mistreatment of transgender people of color has captured headlines in Memphis in the past. The best known example involved the 2008 beating of Duanna Johnson by a Memphis Police Officer in the Shelby County Jail at 201 Poplar Avenue (a facility operated by the Shelby County Sheriff).

The MPD officer used anti-trans language and physical violence to gain compliance from Duanna after she was detained. Duanna suffered serious injuries. The offending officer was later terminated from the police department and served time in a Federal penitentiary. The City of Memphis awarded civil damages in a court settlement to the estate of Duanna Johnson (now deceased).

To his credit, Sheriff William Oldham is taking a proactive approach to prevent past abuses from happening again. He's ordered all his staff to be trained in LGBTQ cultural competency. The TEP Foundation applauds his leadership. If his officers apply the training, the public will experience more professional and respectful law enforcement and correctional officers, and the Shelby County Sheriff Department will significantly reduce the potential cost of civil rights lawsuits, personnel discipline, and termination of highly trained officers.

TEP Foundation provided training to the Shelby County Sheriff Department without charge. If you'd like to donate to the Foundation to help cover the cost of this and future training in Tennessee, visit the Foundation's donation page or click the "Donate Now" button on the right side of this page (desktop version only). 

Many thanks to TEP Foundation Board member Anne Gullick and TEP Foundation Executive Director Chris Sanders for facilitating this training.

TEP Foundation receives UCC grant for media training in East TN

December 9, 2013

Contact:  Chris Sanders  (615) 390-5252 or chris@tnequalityproject.com

Tennessee Equality Project Foundation receives grant from the United Church of Christ and Justice Witness Ministries for media training in East Tennessee

Nashville, TN--The Tennessee Equality Project Foundation's Tennessee Equality Voice program, which seeks to shape a media message for equality in Tennessee, has received a grant of $1000 from the United Church of Christ and Justice Witness Ministries.  The grant will help fund media training for the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and allied community around issues of equality in East Tennessee. 

TEP Foundation Executive Director Chris Sanders notes, "This grant comes at an important time for East Tennessee, as we have seen significant gains in Hamilton and Knox Counties and emerging challenges such as the anti-partner benefits ballot measure in Chattanooga.  We need to train more members of our community and allies how to talk about the values of equality and inclusion when they engage the media.  Thanks to the generosity of the United Church of Christ and Justice Witness Ministries, as well as the encouragement of the Rev. John Gill at Knoxville's Church of the Savior, we will have the opportunity to accomplish this task in the region."

Trainings will begin in the first half of 2014.  The TEP Foundation has begun working with our network of county committees to establish times and locations. 

For more information about the TEP Foundation or to make a contribution, go to http://tnequalityproject.org/tep-foundation/ .  To contact us about upcoming training events, email us at chris@tnequalityproject.com .

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