Court Upholds Firing of Officers in Biker Gang

NEW YORK — The Connecticut Department of Corrections did not violate the Constitution in disciplining or terminating four correctional officers for their association with the Outlaws motorcycle club, a federal appeals court ruled.

In a 77-page ruling, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York said the department’s interest in maintaining the “efficiency, security and integrity of its operations outweighed the associational interests” of the officers.

The DOC had information that the Outlaws were involved in illegal activities, including racketeering and drug trafficking, in other states, and the officers’ association with the group had the potential to negatively impact or disrupt DOC operations, according to the three-judge panel.

In 2003, the DOC received an anonymous letter alleging several employees were involved with the Outlaws. DOC administrators concluded that the officers’ membership in the club posed a security risk to prisoners and issued an administrative directive regarding the conduct of officers, officials say.

Following a departmental investigation, three of the plaintiffs in the case and another correctional officer, not party to the suit, were dismissed in 2004. A fourth plaintiff was disciplined for his conduct, officials say.

The three terminated plaintiffs were subsequently reinstated by the DOC, officials say.
The lawyer for the four officers argued that the disciplinary action imposed on the officers by the department, due to their association with the motorcycle club, violated their constitutional rights to freedom of association and due process of law.