FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NYPD Officer Files Federal Lawsuit Against The City Alleging Her Supervisor Invited Her to Engage In A Threesome With Him
New York, April 2, 2018, – Police Officer Maribel Sarante, 7th Precinct alleges since early 2015, her direct supervisor Sergeant Freddy Lopez made several inappropriate sexual remarks and advances towards her including: inviting her to engage in a threesome with him, his wife gives him no ass, Sarante gets no dick, I would’ve taken care of you if you drove me, etc., according to the lawsuit.
Sarante alleges, the NYPD is fully aware female subordinates’ accusing their supervisors of sexual harassment is a very serious problem especially in the ranks of Sergeant and above but, they are rarely if ever disciplined. Within the NYPD, this is known as ‘Supervisor Immunity,’ according to the lawsuit. Sarante, alleges, the NYPD Office of Equal Employment Opportunity and Internal Affairs Bureau specifically investigate cases to reach the result of ‘Supervisor Immunity’ with a ‘substantiation’ rate of less than 10% due to gender bias. The NYPD then use ‘Supervisor Immunity’ and the ‘substantiation’ rate to promote unqualified employees such Lopez, who then further ‘prey’ upon other female employees, according to the lawsuit.
According to the lawsuit, although the NYPD is fully aware female subordinates’ accusing their supervisors of sexual harassment is a serious problem, the department allocates very little training resources if any related to sexual harassment.
Over the years, Sarante alleges Lopez made inappropriate sexual remarks and advances towards other female officers including on another occasion, he ordered Police Officer Sherice Smiling to go upstairs to the female locker room and tell Police Officer Erica Rivera to “stop playing with her pussy and report to the Desk.”
According to the lawsuit, in response to Sarante’s rejection, Lopez and other police supervisors would change her assignments, fail to notify her about changes in assignments, ultimately re-assigning her to work the late tours to make her workplace intolerable. Additionally, Lopez and Police Officer Jennifer Kielb (Lopez’s paramour) began making false allegations against Sarante in an attempt to have her arrested, suspended and transferred.
On another occasion, Sarante alleges while in Roll Call, Lopez took out a mousetrap and threw it to the floor and started laughing. Sarante alleges during another Roll Call, Sergeant Lopez placed a plastic glove on his hand and stated paraphrase “I’m here to do a Cavity Search. Who wants one?” He then picked up two apples and one banana to form the shape of a penis, while laughing stated paraphrase “Who wants a banana?”
Over the years, Sarante alleges she has filed several complaints with the NYPD Office of Equal Employment Opportunity and each time they claimed her complaints ‘did not rise to the level of employment discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights of 1964, or applicable state or local laws.’ Sarante claims, “The NYPD OEEO does not take complaints seriously.”
According to the lawsuit, Klieb filed a false complaint against Sarante claiming she assaulted her in the Desk Area with a chair.
Sarante alleges since early 2015, Commanding Officer Captain Steven M. Hellman, Integrity Control Officer Lieutenant Clarence Dawson and Platoon Commander Lieutenant Edward Carrasco knew Lopez and Klieb created a hostile work environment for her but did nothing to protect her.
“Unfortunately, sexual harassment, other forms of discrimination, retaliation and ‘supervisor immunity’ are commonplace within the NYPD. Officer Sarante is to be commended for exposing this boorish behavior in the workplace,” says Eric Sanders.
Eric Sanders, Esq., of The Sanders Firm, P.C., filed the federal complaint in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York on April 2, 2018, Maribel Sarante’ v. City of New York, et al., Docket No.: 18 cv 1967.
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