Takia Johnson, a 12-year county employee, was not wrapped up in the racist text scandal.
CAMDEN -- For her alleged "blatant disregard" of protocol, another Camden County Correctional Facility officer has been terminated over prohibited cell phone use.
Takia Johnson -- a 12-year county employee who allegedly took an unauthorized photo of a supervisor, received a photo of a bare male buttocks and let another officer know she was napping in the bathroom -- has appealed the decision by Administrative Law Judge John Futey.
"The county has full faith and confidence in the decision by Judge Futey upholding the termination of this correction officer. The blatant disregard to protocol and procedure by this officer undermined the jail's mission and public's trust," Camden County spokesman Dan Keashen said.
Haddonfield-based attorney William Hildebrand, who is representing Johnson, could not be reached for comment. According to state pension data, Johnson's salary was just under $68,000 and had a little more than seven years of service vested in the Public Employees' Retirement System.
Johnson's dismissal was not tied to the other group of Camden County jail officers who were caught exchanging racist text messages in late 2014, Keashen said. However, according to the state Office of Administrative Law decision, Johnson was the subject of an internal affairs investigation in early 2015 and admitted to her own prohibited activity.
Racist text messages cost officer his job
During an ensuing interview with investigators, it was revealed that Johnson had exchanged text messages while on-duty between August and October 2014 with fellow jail officer Michael Jacob, who was wrapped up in a separate cell phone probe.
The prohibited photo of a sergeant was taken by Johnson while the two on duty at a hospital in Berlin, according to court records, which add that the ranking officer was unaware that the photo was being taken for "fun," according to Johnson.
Captain Karen Taylor, who is in charge of staff operations, recommended to Warden David Owens that Johnson be removed due to her infractions, "which constituted a blatant disregard of policy relative to the possession and use of a cell phone."
In a cross examination noted in court documents, Taylor said that "even if Johnson had been on a 'bathroom break' at any time that she was texting, she nonetheless should not have had the phone with her in any form whatsoever."
"As a result, by her using her unauthorized cell phone at the hospital while she was supposed to be attending to an inmate, she seriously compromised her responsibilities of duty," court records read.
Johnson's dismissal as a Camden County Department of Corrections worker follows the resignation of nine officers and the retirement of two others as a result of racist text message exchanges that came to light early last year.
Greg Adomaitis may be reached at gadomaitis@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregAdomaitis. Find NJ.com on Facebook.