Nine Florida state prison employees, including the son of Florida's top law enforcement officer, have been placed on unpaid leave while officials re-examine a brawl that broke out at a softball banquet last year. Florida Department of Corrections' interim secretary, James McDonough, handed down the disciplinary action early this week. McDonough "has looked into this and he doesn't like what he sees," said department spokeswoman Gretl Plessinger.

Those placed on leave are Maj. James Bowen; Col. Richard Frye; Lt. James Barton; Sgt. Donnie Mayo; Sgt. Eric McMillon; Brad Tunnell, a correctional services administrator; Georgia Arnold, assistant warden for programs; Barbara Durrance, an executive secretary and Ernest Tharpe, a correctional officer.

Tunnell is the son of Florida Department of Law Enforcement commissioner Guy Tunnell, whose agency has been conducting a criminal investigation of the April fracas at Tallahassee's Florida National Guard Armory.

Brad Tunnell, Bowen and Frye earlier had been placed on paid leave by former Department of Corrections Secretary James Crosby pending an investigation by prison officials. Bowen and Frye originally were charged, but the charges were dropped when prosecutors said they had a lack of evidence. The department has been under scrutiny lately for arrests over steroid abuse and accusations of sexual assault, and the arrest of an employee allegedly hired only to help a Florida prison softball team.

Earlier this month, Gov. Jeb Bush asked Crosby to step down and replaced him with McDonough, who had been director of the state office of drug control.