Sexual harassment and gender discrimination run rampant in some of the country's largest police departments. Many of the accused don't face significant punishment – and some end up getting promoted.
A female police officer in Chicago says a supervisor forced her to perform oral sex on him inside a car. A female officer in Philadelphia says a sergeant grabbed her hand and placed it on the crotch of his pants. And a female officer in New York says one of her superiors hacked into her Snapchat account and showed off her intimate photos to a male commander.
In 2013, a female officer filed a lawsuit alleging that Marchese, then a lieutenant, had pressured her to perform oral sex on him — twice — and then punished her when she rebuffed his further advances. The city settled the suit for $100,000, according to previously unreported court documents. For more on this story, tune in to NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt tonight at 6:30pm ET/5:30pm CT or check your local listings.Natalie Keyssar for NBC News
The NYPD didn’t respond to detailed questions about its sexual harassment reporting system, the statuses of the officers or whether those who are no longer with the department were fired. “This year, the department adopted an even stronger practice to ensure a safe and productive workplace. Supervisors must now also report perceived inequitable conduct to the City Personnel Department’s Office of Workplace Equity — along with a plan to address it.”
“Despite Commissioner Outlaw’s dogged efforts to advance a more equitable and inclusive culture within the PPD, systemic roadblocks continue to hinder this department’s efforts in that mission,” Gripp said. In Philadelphia, a male sergeant stalked a female underling and broke into her car after she reported that he had made comments about her appearance and showed up at her house uninvited, according to her lawsuit.
The harassment and discrimination lawsuits capture only a slice of the problem, female former police officials say. Many women who face harassment or discrimination never pursue legal action, and internal abuse complaints aren’t made public. She said the behavior got so bad that the other male officers on her team, Elliot Zibli and David Dooros, sat Garcia down and told him to stop. But the plea went nowhere, they said, and Clarke and her co-workers told their lieutenant about his behavior.
“It took lieutenants and captains and sergeants all to make the retaliation work. And they all did it,” Clarke said.she said, she wanted to keep her bloodhound, Gemma. Zibli and Dooros took their case to trial and won. In 2019, the city of Los Angeles paid the two men $6.7 million. Joanna Schwartz, a professor at the UCLA School of Law who researches the cost of officer misconduct, argued that until city leaders force police departments to pay their own legal fees, little will change. In addition, internal cases rarely involve video evidence that goes viral, which Schwartz says makes it difficult to attract public attention.Multiple female officers who sued their departments say they were placed in “punishment posts” after they reported complaints internally.
“The [Philadelphia Police Department’s] well-settled custom of sexual harassment permeates all 21 police districts,” it said.McCowan said Ross took no action after she told him about the alleged abuse. In the suit, she attributed his failure to act to lingering resentment over her decision to end their two-year affair nearly a decade before — a revelation that dominated the news coverage of the case. McCowan retired early, saying she feared more retaliation and ostracization.
Former LAPD officers Linda Allstot and Karolin Clarke say they were sexually harassed by their male supervisors and then retaliated against when they reported the harassment to management.federal dataOfficials tapped Jennifer Rineer, an organizational psychologist, to lead the study, which is still in process. Through interviews with female officers in 29 states, Rineer found that sexual harassment was a major barrier to attracting more women to careers in policing.
Jim Pasco, the executive director of the National Fraternal Order of Police, the country’s largest police union, defended the way departments handle sexual harassment complaints, saying they are often “he said, she said” cases. Former LAPD Officer Linda Allstot sued the city for sexual harassment and gender discrimination and received $1.8 million.Allstot’s boyfriend was on the force, but she refused to reveal his identity when Lightfoot asked her.
She told a female deputy chief what was going on, but a complaint was never filed internally. Instead, Allstot said, she was again placed under surveillance. But the careers of some in the small group of women who managed to rise through the 55,000-person department and achieve a three-star rank — a position held by fewer than 16 people — ultimately ended in lawsuits and resentment.
Regardless of her position, she said, she always noticed a peculiar trend. “No matter how qualified I was, I wasn’t allowed to go in there until the female spot opened up,” Pollock said.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Houston gang member gets 25 years in prison for 2020 murder of man over $40The argument that led to Jaquan Thompson being shot nine times all started over $40, the DA's office said. Terrance Thomas pleaded guilty on the eve of his trial.
Read more »
Gangster's Disciples member gets 25-year sentence for murder over $40Terrence Thomas, 24, proudly admitted to Harris County Sheriff's Office investigators that he had been a member of the Gangster Disciples for at least 10 years.
Read more »
Pennsylvania water company to raise monthly utility bills by nearly $40 starting in JanuaryCustomers of a Pennsylvania water service will see a price hike in the new year that could raise their monthly utility bill by nearly $40.
Read more »
Aaron Judge reportedly reaches massive deal to stay with YankeesAaron Judge has reportedly reached a nine-year, $360 million deal to stay with the New York Yankees.
Read more »
NBC News reporter Ben Collins repeatedly attacks, ridicules Elon Musk while covering Twitter ownerBen Collins openly detests Elon Musk and his handling of Twitter, raising questions about whether the NBC reporter can impartially cover the topic.
Read more »