Feb. 14-- A Department of Public Safety executive resigned Monday, one day after a Tulsa World story detailed his firing from the Department of Corrections for excessive force and civil rights violations.
Scott Barger, executive assistant to Public Safety Commissioner Michael Thompson, resigned Monday, according to an email from Chris West, a spokesman for the agency.
Thompson said he and Barger discussed his employment Monday.
"We had a long talk about it and he just thought that he should resign in light of the negative attention that was being focused on the department," Thompson said.
Gov. Mary Fallin, contacted by the World for comment Monday, did not request the resignation, a spokesman said.
The World reported Sunday that Thompson had created a high-ranking job for Barger, whom he described as a longtime friend.
Records show Barger was fired from DOC in 1995 after he oversaw and took part in beatings of handcuffed black inmates at the Lexington Assessment and Reception Center prison. A prison guard testified he saw Barger beating an inmate and that Barger later threatened him to keep him from discussing the incident.
Barger was a captain at the time and assistant commander of the team that conducted the "shakedown" or search of cells Oct. 6, 1994. Ten inmates claimed they were handcuffed and beaten by Barger and other guards after the shakedown, records show.
The inmates' names were on a list of "troublemakers" compiled by Barger's team, records state.
Barger was fired from DOC on July 20, 1995, for his role in the beatings and for intimidating a co-worker who testified, records show.
In 1996, the state settled a federal civil rights lawsuit against Barger and other DOC employees filed by 10 inmates.
Barger told the World he was dismissed from the suit but records show he was a defendant at the time it was settled.
He said he did not beat any inmates or threaten anyone regarding the incident.
Records show the beatings were investigated by the FBI but Barger was not charged with a crime.
Thompson said he wasn't aware of Barger's firing from DOC when he hired him last year as assistant director of DPS' Office of Highway Safety. He said that he and Barger attended Purcell High School together, were co-workers at the Lexington prison and later attended National Guard Officer Candidate School together.
Thompson told the World that even if he had known about Barger's firing, he would have hired him for the job anyway.
"I don't see the relationship between something that happened in 1994 and what he is doing for me now," Thompson said.
In November, Thompson promoted Barger to the newly created position of executive assistant to the commissioner at a $60,000 annual salary, records show. Thompson said that Barger prepared information for him on a variety of policy issues and agency initiatives.
Look for the complete story in tomorrow's Tulsa World.
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