A Cuyahoga County Sheriff's Department Lieutenant Has Been on Paid Leave for Two Years

The Cuyahoga County Justice Center in an undated photo. Credit: Tim Evanson

On Friday, March 31, 2023, George Hughes, a corrections lieutenant at the Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Department, walked into the Justice Center to receive, by hand, a letter bearing bad news: he was being put on leave pending a criminal investigation.

Hughes, who’d been in his role as a higher up more than a year, had allegedly groped a female corrections officer at a bar in Lakewood, Cleveland.com reported. Charges weren’t yet filed. But Hughes would be, the letter read, barred from stepping foot in any county building.

He was placed in a kind of purgatory. “You must remain available to report to work,” that letter read, “and must provide a telephone number at which you can be reached.”

More than two years later, the investigation hasn’t been finalized and it appears Hughes has been receiving his full salary—some $97,000 a year—since the start of the process.

Questions persist as to why the investigation, which involves both the Cleveland police department and the Sheriff’s Department Internal Affairs Unit, has taken so long.

A county spokesperson kept additional comments to a minimum, as the investigation with Hughes is still “ongoing.” “Cuyahoga County does not comment on ongoing personnel matters,” they said.

As for Hughes himself, his career at the Justice Center seemed to have kicked off to a decent start.

After about a decade working for the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction as a corrections officer and lieutenant, Hughes scored his role at the Justice Center in January of 2022, then later signed on board officially on Valentine’s Day that year.

Early reviews after his probationary period were shining. According to performance documents reviewed by Scene, Hughes was liked by superiors in his May and August check-ins, with little to complain about.

“Lt. Hughes displays a strong ability to lead and manages with authority and respect,” one comment read.

Hughes, Warden Michelle Henry wrote, brings “a new perspective to the [Justice Center] leadership team.”

Everything seemed golden until that November, when Hughes was written up for failing to keep proper tabs on the previous month’s payroll.

“As a county employee, you are responsible for performing your job in a competent and professional manner,” the complaint letter read.

“Should further infractions occur in the future,” it added, “you may be subject to disciplinary action, including suspension and/or removal from your position.”

Hughes refused to sign the notice.

According to Cleveland.com, the woman who filed the complaint against Hughes months later attended a series of HR events intending to shed a light on sexual harassment at the Justice Center, encouraging victims to “fight back.”

The county is “committed to fostering a culture where every employee feels safe, heard and supported,” a county spokesperson told the publication. “Harassment of any kind has no place in our workplaces.”

A final disciplinary hearing on the accusations against Hughes is scheduled to come in the next few weeks.