Lawsuit: Baltimore Jail Neglect Led to Deaf Man’s Death

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    In the period preceding the tragic murder of Javarick Gantt in a Baltimore jail, he was compelled to share a cell with a suspect implicated in a brutal homicide, who had previously alarmed a fellow inmate with his violent tendencies, as outlined in a lawsuit filed on Tuesday.
    Gantt, who was deaf and relied on sign language for communication, was particularly susceptible to violence due to his inability to interact effectively with correctional officers and other inmates, according to his family’s claims. This lawsuit offers further insight into the events of the 2022 jailhouse murder that sparked concerns over the workings of the Baltimore Central Booking and Intake Center.

    The cellmate in question, Gordon Staron, 36, was awaiting trial for an apparently arbitrary stabbing incident, described by prosecutors as an “axe murder.” In stark contrast, Gantt was only facing minor charges. The attorneys representing Gantt’s family allege that the decision to house the two men together was tragically foreseeable and easily avoidable.
    The family is seeking accountability from the state-operated detention center, frustrated by the lack of transparency concerning how the incident was permitted to occur, expressed by Gantt’s father, Rick Barry Sr.

    “We’ve received no information, nothing at all,” Barry remarked during a phone conversation.
    A representative for the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, which oversees the jail, declined to comment on ongoing litigation.
    Staron later admitted to the strangulation of Gantt after a jury found him guilty of the axe attack, resulting in a life sentence without parole last year.

    Court documents reveal Gantt, aged 34 and weighing just over 100 pounds (45 kilograms), was unable to call for help because he predominantly used sign language. The lawsuit claims his inability to defend himself was compounded by his cellmate’s severe mental health issues, characterized by erratic and paranoid behavior, and history of substance abuse. Prosecutors noted that Staron was initially detained after committing an assault on a homeless person at a bus stop in Baltimore.

    Records indicate that both he and Gantt were assigned similar security rankings, utilized by jail authorities to decide inmate housing.
    Approximately two weeks before Gantt’s death, Staron assaulted two men, leading his then-cellmate to request a transfer out of fear, paving the way for Gantt to occupy the same space, as per the lawsuit.
    Following reports that Gantt’s prior cellmate was bullying him, Gantt utilized sign language to communicate his distress through his cell window. This led to authorities relocating him, inadvertently putting him with Staron, according to the jail’s records.

    “With his disability, I feel he was overlooked,” remarked Gantt’s father.
    Nine days subsequently, Gantt was found limp when he failed to rise for breakfast; inmates noted hearing disturbances in his cell overnight, which went unattended by staff for hours.
    The family’s lawsuit, which calls for damages exceeding $50 million, asserts that Gantt was entitled to special safety measures and that his situation wasn’t adequately monitored the night he died.

    Gantt, a father to a young daughter, had been confined for months due to a backlog in the court system. His detention arose from a 2019 domestic incident that resulted in no serious injuries; however, missed court appearances and probation obligations led to him being denied bail.

    Despite his hearing loss, Gantt was sociable and affectionate, leaving behind a supportive community of friends both within the deaf community and beyond. His recent relocation to Baltimore brought him new friendships, but it also plunged him into confusion and despair when the legal system neglected to address his needs.
    “This was my first time on probation,” Gantt explained through a sign interpreter during a bail hearing, as recorded in the lawsuit. “I wasn’t informed about what to expect or what I needed to do.”

    “The tragedy is that no one has told this family anything, at any time,” stated Baltimore attorney Andrew Slutkin, on behalf of the family. “There’s been no communication of what happened, how it happened, and what they’re doing to prevent it from happening again.”