A top sheriff’s aide who famously called a U.S. District judge’s federal injunction “a bunch of crap” in 2013 is no longer being offered the chance to teach an Ethics and Administration of Justice course at Scottsdale Community College.
According to SCC’s website, former Maricopa County Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy Jerry Sheridan was scheduled to teach a spring semester course as an adjunct faculty member beginning next week. He recently told the Arizona Republic he was looking forward to teaching classes at the college again, which he had done for many years.
Last week 12 News made inquiries into the college’s decision to continue employing Sheridan, whose ethical decisions and administrative practices were repeatedly called into question by a federal judge, attorneys and a court-appointed monitor during the Melendres civil rights case. Sheridan is currently the subject of a formal investigation by the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board.
On Tuesday afternoon, a spokesperson for SCC responded to 12 News, saying that Sheridan was being notified today that he is no longer being offered the position. A written statement from Nancy Neff, SCC Executive Director of Institutional Advancement and Community Engagement, reads in part:
“Mr. Sheridan has taught various Administration of Justice Studies courses on and off as an adjunct faculty member at SCC since 1999… Mr. Sheridan did not teach at SCC in the Fall Semester and is being notified there is not a teaching assignment for him for Spring Semester… It appears Mr. Sheridan is facing professional legal issues that are likely to require his full time and attention.”
When contacted for this story, a spokesperson for Sheridan said he declined to comment.
For six years, Sheridan was former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio's right hand man and was described by MCSO employees as an effective liaison between MCSO and county management. He was also a loyal defender of Arpaio’s controversial tactics.
In recent years Sheridan came under scrutiny for his role in the Melendres civil rights lawsuit in which a federal judge ruled MCSO violated the constitutional rights of citizens and non-citizens.
Sheridan was repeatedly shown in court to be at the center of key decisions that eventually resulted in the county being liable for tens of millions of dollars in subsequent legal fees and remedies.
A video of Sheridan in 2013 showed him telling a group of deputies and volunteer posse members that the judge’s injunction in the lawsuit was “a bunch of crap”, “ludicrous” and “absurd.” Appellate courts ruled that the injunction was constitutional and Sheridan was compelled to apologize in court for what he described as a lapse in judgment.
Sheridan was reprimanded in court by Judge Murray Snow for alleged false statements, reluctance to obey court orders, and for undermining the internal affairs process for which his duties were eventually stripped. At one point Snow wrote, "Sheriff Arpaio and Chief Deputy Sheridan have a history of obfuscation and subversion of this Court's orders that is as old as this case..."
Plaintiffs in the case also demonstrated that under Sheridan’s watch, the MCSO lacked basic training on how to conduct ethical internal affairs investigations. Sheridan himself acknowledged he had never received training on how to conduct internal investigations, despite the fact he made final decisions on internal affairs cases. The lack of oversight at MCSO was a primary reason for a litany of court remedies ordered by the court.
Here is the full statement from Scottsdale Community College:
Mr. Sheridan has taught various Administration of Justice Studies courses on and off as an adjunct faculty member at SCC since 1999. Adjunct faculty are hired by the college’s occupational program directors and department chairs each semester on an as-needed basis. Mr. Sheridan did not teach at SCC in the Fall Semester and he is being notified there is not a teaching assignment for him for Spring Semester. Until the semester officially starts, no adjunct teaching positions are guaranteed. It appears Mr. Sheridan is facing professional legal issues that are likely to require his full time and attention.