The family of Javarick Gantt, a deaf Maryland man who was killed by his cellmate, has filed a lawsuit claiming Baltimore jail staff failed to protect him. In the lawsuit, Gantt's family alleges that his inability to communicate effectively with guards and fellow inmates due to his deafness left him especially susceptible to dangers within the correctional facility, as reported by CBS News Baltimore.
Before his death, Gantt, 34, had been assigned to the same cell as Gordon Staron, a man charged with first-degree murder and known for violent behavior. Staron's prior cellmate had even requested a transfer out of fear, according to details reported by FOX Baltimore, because Staron was involved in another altercation two weeks prior, and having punched two men, this raised flags about his conduct. Despite their vastly different charges and Staron's history of violence, Gantt and Staron were given similar security classifications used by jail administrators to house detainees.
Expressing extreme consternation, Gantt's father, Rick Barry Sr., noted his son's vulnerability due to his disability was overlooked and that the family had been persistently met with silence, telling FOX Baltimore, "Nothing, zero, no answers." Records show that Gantt, who weighed just over 100 pounds, communicated that his previous cellmate was bullying him by using sign language.
Tragically, nine days after the transfer, Gantt was found unresponsive in his cell; during the night preceding this grim discovery, other inmates recalled hearing noises suggestive of distress, but it took several hours before staff reacted, according to the lawsuit's details shared by CBS News Baltimore. The family's lawsuit, which is seeking damages over $50 million, alleges that the corrections officers failed to diligently monitor the dorm on the night of Gantt's death and that Gantt should have been granted special accommodations due to his condition.
