Union blasts state report on death of JCO Hesson

Jan. 7, 2010 - In response to the state’s report on the death of Juvenile Correction Officer Bill Hesson, OCSEA told reporters this week that no blame should be shifted to the fallen officer who died just doing his job.

OCSEA told reporters that it strongly disagrees with any references in the Ohio Department of Youth Services investigative report that places blame on the fallen officer for his own death on April 29, 2009, at the Cuyahoga Hills Juvenile Correctional facility.

Responding to the 45-page report, the union stressed that OCSEA leaders do not believe that Hesson had a role in his own death as the report implies. The report was released one day after youth inmate Hubert Morgan pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter.

“If the report is in any way indicating that Officer Hesson was himself to blame for this tragedy then we emphatically disagree,” said OCSEA President Eddie L. Parks.  The union member’s death was ruled a homicide by the Cuyahoga County prosecutor.

“We believe there is no evidence to conclude that horseplay was involved at the time of incident, particularly when they’re basing it on eyewitness testimony that’s not credible,” said Parks.

Annie Person, the union’s DYS Assembly President, added that the state report is based on flimsy conclusions and not facts.

"I'm concerned that they would minimize the involvement of the youth and claim it was one big misunderstanding." said Annie Person, a Youth Specialist at the Circleville Juvenile Correctional Facility. “What we do have evidence of is an increasingly violent atmosphere in our state youth facilities and more and more violent youth being incarcerated. We have an increase in assaults on youth by youth, we have an increase in assaults on staff and we have more and more violent youth entering the state system.”

Hesson is survived by his wife Julia; son, Skyler; daughters, Brandi and Riley and son, Mason .

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