Sheriff Bill Davis said he was surprised last week when Channel 9 contacted him about complaints made by a former jailer. Brandi Barahoma told the TV station that she was filing a formal complaint with the EEOC over unsafe working conditions, sexism and unfair termination.

Davis said he was unaware of her complaints, noting she had not come to him and Jail Administrator Ricky Peak told Davis she had not come to him with the issues raised in the news report.

Barahoma was on duty the night that Jacob Charles Boswell escaped, assaulting her in the process. She was treated at a hospital for injuries to her head and arms.

She told Channel 9 that she felt she was being mistreated before that, saying her shift was not being rotated as often as other officers. She said she asked for training to become a deputy and was told that women do not belong on the road. Davis flatly denied that he or Peak ever said that, adding there is no application on file indicating her request to become a deputy.

Davis said the staff at the jail is a dedicated  bunch doing an outstanding job. He said they try to rotate everyone on the three jailer positions –- booking, control tower and rover – although there could be reasons for sometimes having to make changes on a particular shift. He said it is not unusual for there to be only one person in the booking area because of staffing.

He said he did not know if she had filed an EEOC compaint, adding he has not received any notification.