5 Deputies to Be Fired in Hazing Scheme : Sheriff: The men allegedly urged jail inmates to harass a rookie female officer.

Five male Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies will be fired for allegedly urging inmates at a county jail facility in Saugus to harass a rookie female deputy as part of a hazing scheme, sheriff’s officials said Tuesday.

A five-month internal investigation found that some inmates at the Peter J. Pitchess Honor Rancho, at the urging of deputies, exposed themselves and threw food at Deputy Alyson A. Fox, 26, who has filed a $1-million claim against the Sheriff’s Department.

“We do not take the firing of any individual lightly,” Assistant Sheriff Richard Foreman said Tuesday. “We are satisfied by our internal investigation that this is the appropriate disciplinary action.”

The deputies are appealing the firings, which are to take effect Feb. 8. An informal hearing with department officials is scheduled for next week, Foreman said.

If the decision is upheld, the deputies--whose names officials would not release--are expected to ask for a formal hearing before the county Civil Service Commission. Foreman said that such an appeal would not delay their dismissals.

The firings are the result of an internal investigation that concluded that the five men encouraged a group of inmates at the jail facility to expose themselves to Fox and to throw eggs, tomatoes and water balloons at her. The inmates also allegedly screamed obscenities, put rats in Fox’s mailbox and threatened her safety.

Fox, who had been on the job for six months, has been on paid leave for stress since October. She could not be reached for comment.

Four of the five deputies were relieved of duty in late July after Fox reported the incidents to supervisors. The fifth deputy was found to have participated in the scheme after the investigation began and was later relieved of duty.

In her claim against the county, Fox said she had complained to supervisors that male deputies told the group of inmates to harass her as part of a hazing ritual that took place at the jail, where Fox began working on June 15.

A county official said Fox’s claim is under review. If it is rejected, Fox could file a lawsuit against the county.