By Adam Ferrise
cleveland.com
CLEVELAND, Ohio — Cuyahoga County agreed to pay $240,000 to the wife of a corrections officer who died after his supervisors refused to let him test his blood-sugar levels.
Warren Johnson’s glucose levels were more than five times the normal amount when he fell into a diabetic coma in 2022 while working in the county’s jail. He died two weeks later.
Johnson, 45, was survived by his two children and his wife, Shakira Johnson, who filed a lawsuit in federal court in Cleveland on behalf of her husband’s estate. He worked as a corrections officer at the jail from February 2019 until his July 2022 death.
“Nothing can bring back Mr. Johnson and nothing will ease the pain of his loss, but the estate and Mrs. Johnson are relieved that this particular chapter has drawn to an end,” Shakira Johnson’s attorney, Peter Mapley said in a statement.
County Council signed off on the settlement on Tuesday. A Probate Court judge must approve it before it becomes official.
“We are pleased this lawsuit is resolved and extend our condolences to Mr. Johnson’s family,” Cuyahoga County spokeswoman Jennifer Ciaccia said in a statement.
Shakira Johnson also has pending lawsuits over workers’ compensation claims and a medical malpractice lawsuit filed against University Hospitals.
Johnson had Type-2 diabetes. In 2021, county officials allowed him to work 12-hour shifts and avoid the extra four hours that officers are sometimes forced to work without notice if the jail is short-staffed. He was also allowed to take three breaks to monitor his glucose levels.
That changed in May 2022, and the county disciplined Johnson for refusing to work longer than his 12-hour shift. He asked several times what he should do to ensure he could get the necessary breaks to check his glucose levels.
On June 16, the county denied his request to work only 12-hour shifts but allowed him to take three breaks per day, the lawsuit said.
Three days later, his supervisor denied him two of the three breaks, his glucose levels shot up to five times the normal amount, and he fell into a diabetic coma. An ambulance took him to the hospital for treatment, according to the lawsuit.
After he was released from the hospital, he ended up getting re-admitted two more times, including on June 29 after he suffered a stroke. He died four days later.
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