Sean G. Duffy Case Summary

At the time of this court case, Sean G. Duffy was a hearing-impaired inmate at the Washington State Reformatory (WSR) in Monroe, Washington. On July 23, 1992, Duffy was charged with indecent exposure by a corrections officer and placed into segregation following the incident. The next day, a notice of a hearing and infraction was attempted to be served, however, Duffy refused to accept it until an interpreter was able to be located. On July 28, 1992, WSR’s Disciplinary Court Clerk Peggy Williams, who knew some sign language, arranged a meeting between herself and Duffy. Duffy refused yet again claiming that Williams was not certified by the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) and that his ability to communicate with her was not