Mar 19, 2021
U.E. High School Student Beaten by Guards at Broome County Jail
Witnesses say at least five guards assaulted a local student and scholarship recipient on Tuesday as punishment for alleged insubordination
BINGHAMTON — Officials from Broome County Sheriff’s and Broome County Public Defender’s offices are investigating another alleged incident of inmate abuse at the hands of corrections officers — this time involving a local high school student.
The student — whose name is intentionally omitted from this report — currently attends Union Endicott High School.
The alleged assault occurred Tuesday, March 16th, in which witnesses and the victim assert five guards entered the student’s cell and began beating him and destroying his personal items. The attack was reportedly retaliation for a verbal altercation between the student and a guard stemming from a noise dispute earlier in the day. Following the assault, the student was assessed by medical staff at the jail. Advocates confirm he sustained severe bruising and swelling to his face and torso.
Of the five guards involved in the assault, three have been identified. They are Broome County Sheriff’s Correctional Facility Officers Kevin T. Conners, his brother, Christopher E. Connors, and Stephen A. Calisi. The Connors Brothers have been reported for several incidents of excessive force at the jail, including at least one that resulted in an inmate’s death. The Broome County Sheriff’s Office did not respond to requests for the names of the remaining two guards.
The student in question was arrested in a U.E. High School classroom by sheriff’s deputies on March 5th, following an alleged theft. Local prosecutors acknowledge they have no physical or video evidence connecting the student to the crime, instead relying on tips and other circumstantial evidence. The student, who has a scholarship to Morrisville College in the Fall, maintains his innocence.
This assault is the latest in a string of alleged abuse, including several suspicious inmate deaths that have plagued the jail for over a decade. Just last year, Broome County paid a $170,000 settlement to the family of Sal Barton, who was murdered in his cell by guards.
Residents of Broome County regularly speak out against abuse within the local criminal justice system. A protest against Binghamton’s latest police reform plan is scheduled for Monday, March 22nd outside of City Council chambers.
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This story is developing.
