WARDEN DEMOTED FOR SHOW AT PRISON CRITICS SAY WOMEN, OTHERS DEGRADED.

Byline: Jim Skeen Staff Writer

LANCASTER - The warden of the state prison in Lancaster is being demoted as the result of a controversy concerning sexually explicit and racial material from comics who performed at the facility in May.

Warden Charles Harrison of California State Prison, Los Angeles County, is being demoted to associate warden over the May 4 show that spurred at least one whistle-blower complaint. The show and other alleged incidents of sexual harassment will be the subject of a hearing next week, said Assemblyman Rudy Bermudez, D-Norwalk, chairman of the Select Committee on Prison Construction and Operations.

``They created a hostile work environment in which female guards were placed in jeopardy by comedians' sexually suggestive material,'' Bermudez said.

The performance featured comedians who have been featured on Comedy Central and BET television networks, including Yvette Obiefule, Joe Arrigoni, Michael Boner, John Gold, Toby Williams, Dave Summers and Matthew Stasukevich. The show was staged for about 300 minimum-security inmates.

At one point in the performance, one of the comics asked the male inmates how many packs of cigarettes a female would be worth, referring to two female Corrections Department employees who were at the facility at the time, according to a whistle-blower complaint filed May 18 by Lt. Charles Hughes.

Both female employees were offended and left the area after that comment, according to Hughes' complaint. A union representative, Hughes has filed 22 complaints in regard to the prison's operations.

At another point in the performance, a female comic wore a sexual toy.

Assemblywoman Sharon Runner, R-Lancaster, said she viewed a videotape of the performance and found the show appalling.

``It was the most degrading video I have ever seen for African-Americans, women, Muslims. It (the performance) should have been stopped,'' Runner said.

Jim Skeen, [phone]

james.skeen(at)dailynews.com