A 26 year-old woman is suing the New York Police Department (NYPD), claiming that she was fired because she refused to drop a complaint against a co-worker who allegedly sexually assaulted her in May 2008. Since she first pressed charges, the woman claims that several high-ranking officers continually urged her to drop the prosecution, but that she refused. The NYPD retaliated when the woman refused to drop the charges. The woman, a former civilian employee who had hopes of becoming a police officer, has suffered significant negative consequences as a result of this refusal. These consequences include being rejected from entry to four police academy classes between January 2009 and March 2011 and being terminated from her civilian job with the NYPD.
According to the woman's lawyer, her career was disrupted by the NYPD and the NYPD made her feel "vulnerable and unprotected". The NYPD claims that the woman was fired not because she continued to press charges but because a residency check indicated that she did not live at the Bronx address where she claimed to have lived. The woman insists that she did live at the address during all times relevant to the complaint.
This case is indicative of the fact that any employer, including the protectors of our peace, may be guilty of workplace discrimination. It is unfortunate that the Plaintiff, who has already suffered by being the victim of a sexual assault, did not have the support of her co-workers, and more importantly, the New York Police Department. This case is especially heinous not only because of the alleged retaliatory efforts of the woman's employer, but also because of who her employer was.
The full Daily News article can be found here.