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Commission: Jail Guard Fired After Alleged Assault Not Discrimination Victim

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) _ The Maine's Human Rights Commission has determined that a veteran Franklin County Jail guard fired for allegedly assaulting an inmate was not the victim of discrimination.

The commission on Monday voted 3-1 to uphold its investigator's finding of no reasonable grounds that discrimination occurred in the firing of Robert Shufelt, of Jay, let go in March 2012 after 23 years on the job.

The Kennebec Journal reports that Shufelt's wife, speaking on his behalf told the commission that her husband suffered from anxiety and took medication for a mental disability.

An attorney for the county said was unaware the 49-year-old Shufelt suffered from a mental disability and had documented a number of disciplinary issues involving him over the years, and was fired for using ``excessive force on an inmate.''