Jail Officials Transferred From Gay Unit : Corrections: The move is made amid accusations that homosexuals get special treatment at Honor Rancho.

CASTAIC — Two well-known administrators have been transferred out of a ward for gay inmates at a Los Angeles County jail facility in Castaic as part of a reorganization that has been criticized by a gay activist working at the unit.

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Senior Deputy Ken Irwin on Monday began new supervisory duties in the kitchen facility at the Peter J. Pitchess Honor Rancho Jail. Sgt. Cliff Busick will supervise maintenance at the jail.

Since last year, Irwin, 51, has worked with gay activist David Glascock in classifying gays admitted to a special ward designed to protect them from other inmates. The ward and classification process are the result of a court order that followed gay lawsuits against the jail in the early 1980s. Busick was Irwin’s immediate supervisor.

As part of the classification program, inmates are interviewed to determine whether they are indeed homosexual or are non-gays seeking admission to the gay module for purposes of sex or extortion. All gays arrested countywide are housed at the Castaic jail’s North Facility.

Under the new arrangement, supervising deputies will be moved into the classification position for possibly six-month rotations to give them a better understanding of working with gay inmates.

Jail officials deny claims by some inmates that the changes resulted from tension among deputies following a recent Times article on the controversial jail program. Inmates contend that several deputies became resentful of the program’s publicity and believe gays receive pampered treatment at the jail.

“I can tell you, unequivocally, that has absolutely nothing to do with the decision to move these men out,” said Capt. William Martin, the North Facility unit commander. “For one thing, Ken Irwin is an excellent kitchen senior. It was where he was stationed before being moved into the gay module. When he was there, the kitchen never worked better. Food services is a critical position.”

Irwin declined to comment on the move. Busick could not be reached.

Glascock, 53, who has worked with gays at the jail for more than a decade, said tension among deputies at the gay ward has increased since the Times story.

“I think this is a highly specialized job,” he said of Irwin’s role. “We were very lucky to find Ken Irwin. This is not the kind of job that should be rotated every six months. It’s going to be difficult training someone new.”