Fresno County Sheriff's captain demoted after asking students about sexual behavior

Thursday, June 22, 2023
FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A Fresno County Sheriff's captain who was previously under investigation for comments he made during a Reedley school assembly has been demoted.

Action News has learned that Joe Smith is now a sergeant with the department.
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In February, Action News reviewed a copy of a video of the assembly at Immanuel Schools.

Smith asked the boys to raise their hands if they had engaged in certain activities of a sexual nature, then asked the girls if they had thought about their chests not being large enough.
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Multiple sources say that Smith was on duty at the time of his speech.

The sheriff's office says it will not be commenting on the demotion, saying it is a private internal matter.
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