TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Stacey Shrader Joslin on Dec 18, 2025

A longtime corrections officer at Knox County's Richard L. Bean Juvenile Detention Center has filed a lawsuit alleging leadership at the facility discriminated against him because he is Black. Knox News reports that Antonio Smith says he was subjected to harassment and baseless allegations, including claims that he was involved in gang and other criminal activity, that he deprived children at the facility of their rights and repeatedly broke the law, and that he had an inappropriate relationship with a female supervisor. The suit was filed Dec. 8 in U.S. District Court against the county, former interim superintendent Brian Bivens, current interim superintendent Cory Dauer and supervisor Brad Sabol.