Opinion ID: 787444
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Johnson's Claim against Testman

Text: 6 Johnson alleges that he was in the MDC barber shop with other inmates when one of the barbers asked Johnson to demonstrate a type of haircut called the Fadeout. Defendant Corrections Officer (CO) Testman saw Johnson using the hair clippers, asked Johnson what he was doing with them, and after hearing his reply, told the inmates that he was terminating barber shop services for the day because of Johnson's use of the clippers. When inmate Elio Franco asked why he couldn't get a haircut, Testman allegedly told him it was due to Johnson's unauthorized use of the clippers, and that if Franco ha[d] a problem with not being able to get a haircut, he should take it up with Johnson. Franco said yea, O.K., and left the area. Shortly thereafter, as Johnson was walking down a hallway, he was attacked by Franco, who plunged a tile cutter into Johnson's neck and slashed his face and upper torso. Johnson claims the attack caused him serious injuries to his face, neck, and upper torso, as well as emotional damage. 7 After the assault, Johnson received a disciplinary infraction for fighting with another person, and was placed in administrative detention in the Special Housing Unit (SHU) while he awaited a hearing. At the hearing, Johnson described the circumstances surrounding the attack, including Testman's alleged comment to Franco. Nevertheless — based on the incident report, his own statement, and Franco's statement — Johnson was found guilty of the infraction, and was sentenced to an additional 21 days in the SHU, the loss of 30 days of good conduct time, and a year's loss of visiting and commissary privileges. 8 Johnson appealed the disciplinary conviction to the BOP's Northeast Regional Office. On appeal, he again recounted Testman's conduct. Johnson's regional appeal was denied, and he sought review by the BOP Central Office. The Central Office ruled in Johnson's favor, finding that the incident report [did] not describe any factual evidence inmate Johnson was actual[ly] fighting and not a victim in this case. It therefore remanded the incident report to the MDC for a new hearing, at which Johnson was exonerated.