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New lawsuit claims MPD harbors a culture of sexual harassment and sexism
Inappropriate behavior, unwanted sexual advances, and fear of retaliation are just a few of the many terms being described in a recent lawsuit brought against the Metropolitan Police Department. FOX 5's Ayesha Khan has the story.
WASHINGTON - Inappropriate behavior, unwanted sexual advances, and fear of retaliation are just a few of the many terms being described in a recent lawsuit brought against the Metropolitan Police Department.
The serious allegations are not the first either for the department, but this most recent lawsuit claims that MPD harbors a culture of sexual harassment and sexism — not to mention retaliation for reporting such behavior.
The three plaintiffs are all Black women; two are current officers and one is a civilian employee.
More Black female cops allege harassment, mistreatment, retaliation in DC police department
They told FOX 5 that their supervising officers often subjected them to inappropriate sexual advances and comments.
Two of the women said they were always hesitant to speak up because they were afraid of losing their jobs.
On many occasions, they said, it would be the same lieutenant who made the inappropriate comments and sexual passes towards each woman at different times.
Black female cops describe graphic harassment, mistreatment, retaliation in DC police department
Ten Black female police officers described vile, graphic sexual harassment and mistreatment Wednesday when they announced a lawsuit they were launching against the D.C. police department.
The lawsuit alleges a pattern where women at the department were being "subjected to constant hyper-scrutiny" and "disciplined for the smallest infraction" after they reported inappropriate behavior.
The plaintiffs also say they were treated in the same way as 10 women who filed a class-action lawsuit over two years ago.
More Black female cops allege harassment, mistreatment, retaliation in DC police department.
That pending lawsuit seeks $100 million from the department and also alleges that Black women were ignored or retaliated against when they reported harassment and discrimination to the Equal Employment Opportunity Department.
One of the women describes one particular incident involving a lieutenant, who was her superior, when she first started as a midnight police officer.
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"There was a big conference table, and he tried to say well there are no cameras in here, so you can bend over on this table, and we can have sex," officer Brandy Smith recalled. "What saved me that night was a dispatcher who asked me if I was clear to respond to a call, and that’s how I feel like I ended up getting out of there. But I feel like if that didn’t happen, I probably would’ve ended up being raped."
"This man used to tell me that if I told anybody he would make sure I wouldn’t have a job," she added.
"I’ve been getting sexually harassed by a lieutenant who was my direct supervisor. He said a lot of vulgar comments, asking me 'do I like oral sex at work?" said Diana Walker, one of the officers who is filing the lawsuit.
"No one even reached out to ask me anything about the complaints and that really hurt because I have spent 25 years in this agency to be just unheard," said Karen Ervin, an MPD customer service representative.
Pamela Keith with the Center for Employment Justice told FOX 5 she's "never seen a workplace that has such total disrespect and disregard for women where it is a kind of jocularity ‘boys will be boys’ attitude that bends over backward to protect the career prospects and the pensions of male officers. Yet, that simply does not extend to women."
The lieutenant who is being accused is still employed with MPD, his attorney confirmed with FOX 5.
The three women are asking the city for $2 million each in damages.
FOX 5 has reached out to MPD and the attorney general's office, but they don't comment on pending litigation. We have also reached out to Mayor Muriel Bowser's Office for a comment but no response yet.