Supervisor had disciplinary actions before Gynnya McMillen investigation

Supervisor had disciplinary actions before Gynnya McMillen investigation
Published: Feb. 8, 2016 at 10:45 PM EST|Updated: Mar. 24, 2016 at 10:52 PM EDT
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LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) - New developments in the death investigation of a 16-year-old girl who died inside a Hardin County Juvenile center have been released.

The employee suspended for not making checks on Gynnya McMillen has a history of work problems, including complaints of excessive force. The claims are against Reginald Windham and according to his file, in some cases he put the blame on residents until he was told that video evidence told a different story.

"That's very, very troubling," McMillen family attorney Ron Hillerich said of Windham's file.

Hillerich said the history of Lincoln Village Juvenile Detention Center Supervisor Reginald Windham is telling following McMillen's death last month when she was found unresponsive in her room.

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Windham, who's worked at the facility for more than a decade, was put on paid leave Jan. 21 after investigators found he didn't do his required 15 minute bed checks on McMillen Jan. 10 and Jan. 11 and then falsified the room log.

Hillerich said, "Not only did he not monitor her, but he said he did."

Windham's file shows five reprimands and two of them included excessive force.

In 2006, paperwork shows a youth told Windham to get out of his face, Windham slammed the youth face first onto the floor according to paperwork and the juvenile yelled you're breaking my arm.

A witness said Windham responded, "Maybe I will."

Windham told investigators the youth kept moving his hands from behind his back but investigators played video evidence for showing that never happened. Windham was suspended five days.

In 2010, Windham grabbed a youth's arm as she jerked away according to the paperwork. She fell to the floor, Windham then dragged her by her feet into the cell.

Hillerich wonders why Windham was still working there when McMillen was checked in.

"I'll be the first to admit that I'm always good for a second chance," Hillerich said, "but we have a gentleman here who's been given four and five second chances before."

Windham's lesser violations included things like not giving residents their medications when they were leaving and not abiding by medical directions in a resident's file.

Investigators hope toxicology reports and now genetic testing being done by the Mayo clinic will help uncover what caused the girl's death.

Our attempts to contact officials with the Kentucky Department of Corrections and the Kentucky Department of Juvenile Justice did not return our calls for comment. Buzzfeed.com made the Kentucky Department of Juvenile Justice file public on Friday by putting it online.

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