Fort Worth prison allowed religious discrimination to fester between employees, lawsuit says

A Catholic chaplain at the FMC Carswell federal prison in Fort Worth subjected colleagues and inmates to religious discrimination and harassment over the course of seven years while nothing was done to stop him, according to a lawsuit filed against him and the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

Chaplain Michael Onuh is accused of repeatedly making disparaging remarks about Protestant chaplains and other religions while refusing to do the part of his duties that requires him to help non-Catholic inmates, the lawsuit says.

Protestant Chaplain Casey Campbell complained to Carswell leadership and the BOP dozens of times. His complaints were supplemented by complaints from other employees and at least one person who is incarcerated at FMC Carswell.

The incarcerated person, Leslie Hee, said she has faced retaliation from Onuh for assisting women who practice other religions, which she said is part of her job. And Hee, a Catholic, was barred by Onuh “from touching anything Catholic in the sacristy,” which has prevented her from practicing her religion, her attorney David Smith, of Colorado, said.

The Bureau of Prisons declined to answer questions from the Star-Telegram, citing the pending lawsuit. The Fort Worth Diocese doesn’t have jurisdiction over federal prison chaplains, according to a spokesperson. Bishop Michael Olson, who received a letter from Hee about her issues, forwarded it to the bureau.

Complaints from the chaplain

Campbell’s problems with Onuh began in 2012 when the Catholic chaplain started to make derogatory remarks about Protestant chaplains, according to the lawsuit.

Onuh also refused to escort non-Catholic volunteers at the prison as required by his job and refused to supervise non-Catholic activities, leaving non-Catholic chaplains with extra work, the lawsuit says.

The lawsuit says that many others at FMC Carswell, including fellow chaplains, other employees, volunteers, visitors and prisoners also complained about Onuh’s behavior for more than four years.

When nothing was done, Campbell escalated his complaints in 2017 and filed with the BOP’s Equal Employment Opportunity Office. Two years later, an investigation determined that Campbell was a victim of religious discrimination and was eligible for compensation.

Two other chaplains also filed EEO complaints against Onuh, according to the lawsuit.

Onuh could not be reached for comment and his attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Department of Justice, which oversees the BOP, ordered leadership at Carswell to immediately remedy the situation, but instead leadership has “wholly failed to comply and Campbell has been forced to file additional complaints to correct the illegal religious discrimination that is ongoing,” according to the lawsuit.

In the time the investigation’s findings were released, the lawsuit says Onuh is accused of:

▪ Canceling Muslim religious services on July 19, 2019.

▪ Refusing to escort community volunteers from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints on July 13, 2019, which resulted in the cancellation of the worship services that day.

▪ Refusing access to the same volunteers on Aug. 10, 2019.

▪ Changing his work schedule without permission or notification on Aug. 15, 2019, which resulted in a scheduled worship service for the Wiccan community being canceled.

▪ Cursing at a prisoner who is assigned to religious services work in February 2020.

▪ Continuing to not respond to “Religious Services” calls for chaplains when needed.

Campbell said he started to face retaliation after filing multiple complaints and was told by an associate warden to stop complaining or he’d be investigated for stalking Onuh. He was then told to avoid Onuh when their schedules overlapped.

Campbell’s attorney, Michael Dunleavy, declined to comment on the case further since it’s still pending in federal court.

Complaints from incarcerated clerk

While Campbell was the victim of religious discrimination from Onuh, Hee, who has been incarcerated at FMC Carswell since 2016 on a drug conviction, says she’s also faced that discrimination along with “racist comments, degrading accusations, backbiting and outright disdain for myself and others” from Onuh.

Her attorney said the issues began several years ago when she was accused of having an improper relationship with another chaplain. The allegation was sparked by another prisoner and Onuh, according to Smith.

“That situation was investigated by the BOP and determined to be unfounded, which means in the BOP language they could find no evidence to support it,” Smith said. “Ms. Hee has worked in the chaplain area for a number of years and her position is one of organizing various events that different religious sects want to have, so she’s involved with organizing things for Catholics, Protestants, Muslim inmates what have you. She believes that Onuh doesn’t like that situation and doesn’t think there should be events arranged for various groups and she believes that’s the source of her problem with him.”

Then in November 2019, Onuh called a meeting of some BOP employees and a few inmates. He told them that someone had used utility sink water for the celebration of Mass. He didn’t name who did it, but later told Hee that she would no longer be allowed to touch “anything Catholic in the sacristy,” Smith said.

“That in effect prevents her from participating in communion and at that point, she was effectively cut off from practicing her religion,” Smith said.

Asked how this move has affected her, Hee said in a message that she misses worshiping with her Catholic family and that she believes this was retaliation for her helping with other religions.

“Most of all I truly miss partaking in Holy Communion, sponsoring catechumens seeking initiation, renewing my Baptismal vows when entering the church, and experiencing absolution through the Holy Sacrament of Reconciliation,” she wrote.

Hee mailed a letter to Bishop Michael Olson in 2019 that outlined the issues she faced with Onuh.

“I have endured Father Onuh’s racist comments, degrading accusations, backbiting, and outright disdain for myself and others,” she wrote.