A former Cayuga County Jail inmate who claimed his constitutional rights were violated while incarcerated will receive a $25,000 settlement from Cayuga County.
Johann Bass filed a federal lawsuit in 2022 against several defendants, including Cayuga County Sheriff Brian Schenck and jail employees, alleging delays in medical treatment, denial of mental health care, psychological abuse, and violations of his due process rights.
Bass was being held at the Cayuga County Jail following his arrest in connection with a January 2022 bank robbery in Auburn. He later pleaded guilty to third-degree robbery and was sentenced to 2 1/3 to 7 years in state prison.
In the lawsuit, Bass claimed he suffered “extreme chest pains” during his pretrial detention and repeatedly requested medical treatment. According to the complaint, he was quarantined due to COVID-19 concerns despite testing negative for the virus.
Bass alleged he did not receive treatment for 17 days before eventually being prescribed antibiotics and over-the-counter pain medication, which he said improved his condition.
The lawsuit also alleged Bass was denied access to mental health treatment during the 16 months he spent at the jail. Bass claimed he submitted multiple requests for mental health services after being placed on constant or suicide watch due to concerns about his well-being.
According to court filings, Bass stated he had attempted suicide seven times and did not receive mental health treatment despite repeated requests.
Bass sought more than $2.1 million in damages, along with attorneys’ fees.
In April, the Cayuga County Legislature approved a resolution authorizing a settlement agreement between the county and Bass following mediation between attorneys representing both sides.
The agreement resolves all claims against the county “without making any admission of fault,” according to the resolution.
Cayuga County Attorney Fred Westphal later confirmed to The Citizen that the settlement amount was $25,000.
Bass, who began serving his prison sentence in 2023, was released on parole in 2025.
