This week, as Knox County settled two lawsuits brought by former employees of the beleaguered juvenile detention center, a new lawsuit from another worker says other types of problems were happening there.
The fallout continues from the problems uncovered last year at the Richard L. Bean Juvenile Service Center, whose namesake brought a separate $5 million lawsuit against the county for what he says was his unlawful forced resignation.
Dolly Mack and Mary Dailey both sued the county along with jail Sgt. Brad Sabol and former interim director Cory Dauer, saying they faced discrimination by the center's leaders because they were longtime employees of Bean, and agreed to a settlement. Neither women, both of whom had worked decades at the facility,
had medical and physical limitations that kept them from performing physically demanding tasks and both were injured on the job trying to perform those tasks, they said in the suits.
The court has not released the settlement amounts.
Attorney Arthur F. Knight III, who represents both women, declined to disclose the details of the settlements. Knox County Law Director David Buuck did not immediately respond to emailed questions about the settlements and new lawsuit.
Knight also represents Bean in his lawsuit against the county, in addition to 11 current and former employees who sued the county in May and former employee Antonio Smith, who sued the county in December alleging racial discrimination.
New lawsuit alleges sexual discrimination
A new suit filed against Knox County on Sept. 18 by Twila Hulett, a former captain of the facility who alleged constant sexual discrimination and harassment – mostly by other employees who, she said, started and spread false rumors she was having sexual relationships with subordinates.
The rumors were never properly addressed and led to her firing by former superintendent Brian Bivens, she said. Bivens, who abruptly quit the facility in November, was not sued.
Hulett was hired in September 2025 and almost immediately became the subject of inappropriate comments, she said in the lawsuit.
Bivens ordered her to resign nearly three weeks after she started, based on the false rumors, Hulett said.
Hulett also filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Tyler Whetstone is an investigative reporter focused on accountability journalism. Email: tyler.whetstone@knoxnews.com; X: @tyler_whetstone; Signal: twhetstone141924.39
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: As Knox County settles two juvenile center lawsuits, a new one is filed
