A harrowing lawsuit has been filed against a state correctional facility and its management, alleging severe negligence leading to the death of an inmate. On July 5, 2024, Virge Madden, Jacqueline Slaughter, and William Smith lodged a complaint in the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana against the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections (DPSC) and several associated entities.
The plaintiffs—Madden, Slaughter, and Smith—are suing individually and on behalf of the estate of John Dotson. They claim that Dotson suffered fatal injuries while in custody at Bayou Correctional Center (BCC), also known as Madison Correctional Center. The suit names multiple defendants including James M. LeBlanc, Secretary of DPSC; Keith Deville, Warden of BCC; an unidentified correctional officer referred to as "John Doe"; an unidentified inmate also referred to as "John Doe"; the Louisiana Office of Risk Management; and an unnamed insurance company.
According to the complaint, on July 10, 2023, John Dotson experienced a physical event that left him unconscious and unresponsive while under DPSC's custody. The plaintiffs allege that despite clear signs of injury—including contusions and lacerations indicating blunt force trauma—Dotson was not provided with necessary medical care or protection. The funeral home photographs reportedly show extensive injuries consistent with a violent assault prior to his death.
The lawsuit claims that Defendants failed to investigate the circumstances surrounding Dotson’s death adequately. The Accident or Incident Report Form from BCC noted blood on Dotson’s hands but did not prompt any further inquiry into his condition or cause of death. Plaintiffs assert that this neglect violates Dotson's Eighth Amendment rights under the U.S. Constitution which mandates humane treatment for inmates.
The plaintiffs accuse LeBlanc and Deville of failing in their duties to monitor staff performance adequately and ensure proper training for handling inmates' care. They argue that both officials have a history of negligent hiring practices and insufficient training protocols which contributed directly to Dotson's untimely demise.
Moreover, it is alleged that BCC had policies allowing mistreatment of inmates by inadequately trained officers—a systemic issue known to policymakers like Warden Deville but left unaddressed. This negligence purportedly created an environment where constitutional violations could occur unchecked.
In terms of relief sought from the court, plaintiffs are demanding compensatory damages for pain and suffering endured by Dotson before his death; punitive damages against individual defendants in their personal capacities; reimbursement for funeral expenses; loss-of-income compensation; legal costs including attorney fees under 42 U.S.C §1988; pre-judgment interest; post-judgment interest as permitted by law; among other possible damages proven during trial proceedings.
Representing them are attorneys Daryl A. Gray (LA Bar No. 34225), Eric A. Wright (LA Bar No. 26149), Billie W. Goldberg (LA Bar No. 36093) from Wright Gray Harris LLC based out New Orleans LA., with District Judge presiding over Case ID: 3:24-cv-00894