State pays $250,000 to settle prison rape whistleblower case

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — The state Department of Corrections will pay $250,000 to settle claims from a guard who claimed he was retaliated against after reporting rape allegations at Montana Women's Prison.

Daniel Root claimed he was passed over twice for a promotion after reporting in 2017 allegations of his supervisor's sexual misconduct with inmates.

The results of an investigation into the claims have not been released, but the lieutenant accused of having sex with an inmate resigned in 2019, the Montana State News Bureau reported.

Root says he was told filing lawsuits and talking to the press reflected negatively on his chances for promotion. He resigned under the terms of the agreement.