A nurse filed a sexual harassment complaint against an Hidalgo County detention officer. Lt. Pedro "Pete" Trevino was charged with official oppression, a Class A misdemeanor.
The 39-year-old was arrested after an internal investigation by the county's public integrity unit. We're told Trevino confessed and was fired at the time of his arrest.
"We will continue to enforce our zero-tolerance policy, because we believe that nobody should be subjected to that type of treatment by a work supervisor," says Hidalgo County Sheriff Lupe Trevino.
Court documents state the sexual harassment happened while Pedro Trevino was on duty earlier this month. The nurse claims he cornered her up against the wall of his office, kissed her, and touched her inappropriately.
Showing posts with label sexual harrassment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sexual harrassment. Show all posts
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Former Officer Pilar Ortiz-Buckley Settles Sexual Harassment Lawsuit
A former police officer from Atherton is settling a sexual harassment lawsuit with the city for $230,000.
Former officer Pilar Ortiz-Buckley claimed the city's public workers supervisor sexually harassed her, and then forced her out of the police department when she complained to her superiors.
The city of Atherton decided to settle the case outside of court, without even taking legal depositions in the case.
The public works supervisor, Troy Henderson, is still employed by the city.
Former officer Pilar Ortiz-Buckley claimed the city's public workers supervisor sexually harassed her, and then forced her out of the police department when she complained to her superiors.
The city of Atherton decided to settle the case outside of court, without even taking legal depositions in the case.
The public works supervisor, Troy Henderson, is still employed by the city.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Corrections Officer Accuses Superiors of Sexual Harassment
OMAHA, Neb.
A former Dakota County corrections officer has sued the county, its sheriff and other superiors alleging they pressured female employees into sexual relationships and those who refused their advances were treated as outcasts.
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Omaha last week on behalf of Toni Duncan, calls the work environment she chose to leave in 2007 a "cesspool" in which superiors misused their power for their own sexual gratification. It seeks unspecified damages.
Attorneys for the Sioux City, Iowa, woman say she's not the first and won't be the last to raise issues with the problems in the northeastern Nebraska county.
The county investigated related claims in 2007, but its findings were never made public, according to Duncan's lawsuit, which alleges a cover-up.
"This is a genuine mess. The more we get into it, the more messy it gets," said attorney Dewey Sloan, who along with Brian Buckmeier represents both Duncan and Williams.
An attorney for the county called Duncan's allegations mystifying and suspicious.
"I have no clue where these allegations are coming from," attorney Vince Valentino said Monday.
Sloan also represents Charvette Williams, another corrections officer who sued the county in June alleging unfair pay and harassment. The Sioux City woman alleged the hostile work environment left her feeling trapped in a sexual relationship with a chief deputy.
Sloan said he and Buckmeier are working to file several other lawsuits in coming weeks making similar claims.
Valentino said neither Duncan nor Williams took their sexual harassment allegations to the Nebraska Equal Opportunity Commission or its federal counterpart to investigate. He said that's always the first step for anyone serious about such claims.
Dewey said Williams did file a claim with the state commission, although it didn't address sexual harassment. It wasn't until later, when Williams became less fearful, that she felt willing to talk about the additional allegations.
In Duncan's case, she waited too long to take the claim to the state commission, Dewey said.
Duncan quit in November 2007, after a little over a year with the county, according to her lawsuit.
The Nebraska Equal Opportunity Commission can investigate employment claims within 300 days of when the alleged harassment happened.
The report completed by a private law firm in 2007 was recently sealed by the Dakota County Board to protect people who offered confidential information, board Chairman Bill McLarty said.
McLarty said he never read the report and couldn't discuss its findings.
The report was shared with Attorney General Jon Bruning's office, which found that the allegations did not rise to the level of a criminal matter, according to a letter dated July 30, 2007.
A spokeswoman for Bruning couldn't immediately comment on the report or the attorney general's conclusions.
A former Dakota County corrections officer has sued the county, its sheriff and other superiors alleging they pressured female employees into sexual relationships and those who refused their advances were treated as outcasts.
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Omaha last week on behalf of Toni Duncan, calls the work environment she chose to leave in 2007 a "cesspool" in which superiors misused their power for their own sexual gratification. It seeks unspecified damages.
Attorneys for the Sioux City, Iowa, woman say she's not the first and won't be the last to raise issues with the problems in the northeastern Nebraska county.
The county investigated related claims in 2007, but its findings were never made public, according to Duncan's lawsuit, which alleges a cover-up.
"This is a genuine mess. The more we get into it, the more messy it gets," said attorney Dewey Sloan, who along with Brian Buckmeier represents both Duncan and Williams.
An attorney for the county called Duncan's allegations mystifying and suspicious.
"I have no clue where these allegations are coming from," attorney Vince Valentino said Monday.
Sloan also represents Charvette Williams, another corrections officer who sued the county in June alleging unfair pay and harassment. The Sioux City woman alleged the hostile work environment left her feeling trapped in a sexual relationship with a chief deputy.
Sloan said he and Buckmeier are working to file several other lawsuits in coming weeks making similar claims.
Valentino said neither Duncan nor Williams took their sexual harassment allegations to the Nebraska Equal Opportunity Commission or its federal counterpart to investigate. He said that's always the first step for anyone serious about such claims.
Dewey said Williams did file a claim with the state commission, although it didn't address sexual harassment. It wasn't until later, when Williams became less fearful, that she felt willing to talk about the additional allegations.
In Duncan's case, she waited too long to take the claim to the state commission, Dewey said.
Duncan quit in November 2007, after a little over a year with the county, according to her lawsuit.
The Nebraska Equal Opportunity Commission can investigate employment claims within 300 days of when the alleged harassment happened.
The report completed by a private law firm in 2007 was recently sealed by the Dakota County Board to protect people who offered confidential information, board Chairman Bill McLarty said.
McLarty said he never read the report and couldn't discuss its findings.
The report was shared with Attorney General Jon Bruning's office, which found that the allegations did not rise to the level of a criminal matter, according to a letter dated July 30, 2007.
A spokeswoman for Bruning couldn't immediately comment on the report or the attorney general's conclusions.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Resource Officer Jason Casper Accused of Unwanted Sexual Contact
MILTON
A Janesville teenager has accused Milton Police Department's school resource officer of "unwanted sexual contact," according to a Janesville Police Department incident report.
The report lists Jason W. Casper, 38, Milton, as the suspect. Casper works for Milton police in the Milton School District.
A Milton Police Department news release said Monday that a department employee who worked in the school district had been put on paid administrative leave as part of a criminal investigation. Casper is the department's sole school resource officer, according to the department's Web site.
Milton police, Janesville police, the Wisconsin Division of Criminal Investigation and the Rock County Sheriff's Office are investigating the case.
According to the incident report, an 18-year-old woman contacted Janesville police late Saturday night about unwanted sexual contact from Casper. The alleged contact took place between Sept. 1 and Nov. 30, when the girl was 17, according to the report.
The alleged incident happened in Milton's jurisdiction, but Milton asked the Janesville Police Department to investigate, said Lt. Tim Hiers with the Janesville Police Department. He referred all questions to the Milton Police Department.
Milton police learned about the allegations Sunday, Chief Jerry Schuetz said.
Schuetz declined to comment on what kind of sexual contact the incident involved or what evidence has been collected. He did not say if there are other potential victims.
He hopes to release more information by the end of the week, he said.
Casper has been the department's school district liaison since about 2000, according to a 2004 Janesville Gazette story.
A Janesville teenager has accused Milton Police Department's school resource officer of "unwanted sexual contact," according to a Janesville Police Department incident report.
The report lists Jason W. Casper, 38, Milton, as the suspect. Casper works for Milton police in the Milton School District.
A Milton Police Department news release said Monday that a department employee who worked in the school district had been put on paid administrative leave as part of a criminal investigation. Casper is the department's sole school resource officer, according to the department's Web site.
Milton police, Janesville police, the Wisconsin Division of Criminal Investigation and the Rock County Sheriff's Office are investigating the case.
According to the incident report, an 18-year-old woman contacted Janesville police late Saturday night about unwanted sexual contact from Casper. The alleged contact took place between Sept. 1 and Nov. 30, when the girl was 17, according to the report.
The alleged incident happened in Milton's jurisdiction, but Milton asked the Janesville Police Department to investigate, said Lt. Tim Hiers with the Janesville Police Department. He referred all questions to the Milton Police Department.
Milton police learned about the allegations Sunday, Chief Jerry Schuetz said.
Schuetz declined to comment on what kind of sexual contact the incident involved or what evidence has been collected. He did not say if there are other potential victims.
He hopes to release more information by the end of the week, he said.
Casper has been the department's school district liaison since about 2000, according to a 2004 Janesville Gazette story.
______________________
Monday, May 04, 2009
Accused Officer Rob Mahoney Tells Different Story
A veteran Seattle police officer accused of sexually harassing an 18-year-old police Explorer and lying about it said Tuesday he thinks top-level commanders trumped up the case to retaliate for challenging them and defending female officers who had been discriminated against.
Rob Mahoney, 46, a defensive-tactics instructor at the department's training center, said that his accuser, Heather Newstrom, was flirtatious and liked to hang around after training classes to talk to officers. He didn't deny giving her a peck on the cheek after she kissed him on the cheek and hugged him goodbye while the two were in an office after class on April 7, 2008. But, he said, that's as far as it went before he got a phone call and left.
"The allegation that I kissed her on the mouth and put my tongue in her mouth is made up," Mahoney said during Tuesday's hearing before the Public Safety Civil Service Commission.
But Newstrom, now 19 and attending the United States Military Academy, testified last week that as she stood up to leave, Mahoney grabbed her and said, "Now can I have a real kiss?" She said she was shocked and she turned her head and backed away. He dropped to his chair, placed his head in his hands, and apologized, she testified. The department's Office of Professional Accountability deemed her the more credible witness. Mahoney was suspended for 30 days and transferred to a desk job in the 911 center.
He has appealed, arguing the department lacked proof of dishonesty and unfairly disciplined him. The Seattle Police Officers' Guild says it's one of three cases in which officers were fired or disciplined for dishonesty since a new "presumption of termination" policy enacted last year. The other two cases were overturned by a civilian arbitrator, raising questions about how the new standard is applied.
Chief Gil Kerlikowske said he wanted to fire Mahoney under the policy but didn't think he had enough proof to do so. A dishonesty charge on his record, however, still would likely ruin Mahoney's career because it could be used against him in court.
The three-member commission must decide whether to uphold the chief's findings of professional misconduct and dishonesty or rule in favor of the officer. While Mahoney has no record of sustained misconduct, court records show he was the focus of a domestic-violence investigation in 2006 that resulted in no charges.
Newstrom, a Holy Names graduate, said she was 15 when she joined the police Explorers, a mentorship program for teenagers interested in police work and community service. They have uniforms and meet regularly under a department adviser. She said she enjoyed police training and providing security at community events. She said she did give hugs, which other officers said seemed like behavior typical of a high school student.
She said she got to know Mahoney taking his classes and looked to him as a mentor. Their friendship started because they share an interest in philosophy. Mahoney first noticed her because she stuck out while reading Mary Wollstonecraft's "A Vindication of the Rights of Women" while at the training center, he testified.
Mahoney testified that he's thinks investigators believed her because he made enemies on the command staff. He alleged that the captain overseeing the sexual-harassment investigation, Tag Gleason, held a grudge against him over a training program that he and several officers tried to start 8 years ago. Gleason then headed the training unit.
Mahoney said he drew Kerlikowske's scorn because he wrote a use-of-force analysis in support of two officers who were disciplined for beating a man outside a Capitol Hill nightclub over a littering complaint. The officers had asked him to do so because of his expertise. The case was one of two high-profile misconduct cases that led to a public controversy in 2007 over police accountability.
He testified that he's also in hot water for sticking up for his current girlfriend, Officer Susanna Munro, who filed a discrimination complaint against the Police Department. She testified Tuesday that she was turned down for a job on the Narcotics Unit over rumors that she was having an extramarital affair with Mahoney while married to another officer. Sgt. Alvin Little, who denied her application, is the current adviser to the Explorer program. He testified to helping Newstrom file a complaint against Mahoney.
Mahoney said he was viewed with suspicion from the start of his career because he has an advanced degree. He testified that he thinks his case was treated differently from other officers who denied allegations.
"I have no faith whatsoever in the ability of the (Office of Professional Accountability) to conduct a fair hearing of an officer who is politically unpopular in the department or in the community," he said.
Mahoney joined the department in 1998 after working as a college professor. He has a doctorate in philosophy from the University of Edinburgh. A New York City native, he started studying martial arts while growing up in the Bronx because the streets were rough but he wasn't a "tough kid," he said.
Mahoney's attorney, Alex Higgins, said the case boiled down to a "tall tale" told by Newstrom. He pointed out that Mahoney had no history of sustained complaints on his record.
While Mahoney alleges department officials were searching for reasons to ruin his career, they didn't do so three years ago when Mahoney was accused of threatening to kill his ex-girlfriend and her fiance, which triggered a criminal investigation, according to court records.
SeattlePI.com obtained court records this week showing that Mahoney's ex-girlfriend, Siolo Thompson, filed for a court protection order against him in March 2006. Her then-fiance, Bart Keogh, a doctor at Harborview Medical Center, also said in a sworn statement that Mahoney made threats to kill him.
Both said Mahoney was jealous, verbally and physically abusive to Thompson, and had used his authority as a police officer to reach her at work. A judge declined to issue a permanent order, which would have required Mahoney to surrender his gun, but entered a less restrictive restraining order under a settlement between both sides, according to court records.
Mahoney and Thompson have a son together. After their separation in 2003, the court awarded custody to Mahoney with a visitation plan. In his statements from that case, Mahoney said Thompson, also a trained martial artist, was unstable and the one who threatened him, once warning that she would run away with their son to South America, where she is from, according to court documents.
Keogh also filed a complaint with Seattle police, which was investigated. King County prosecutors reviewed the allegations but didn't file charges in part because the woman later decided not to cooperate, saying she feared jeopardizing Mahoney's career, said Ian Goodhew, chief of staff in the Prosecutor's Office.
Prosecutors require proof the victim had a reasonable fear of the threat. Another issue arose with the fiance's call to police, in which he had at first phrased as a hypothetical "what-if" an officer had threatened to kill him, Goodhew said.
The Police Department also found no evidence of misconduct and the investigation was closed. No information from that case was presented during Mahoney's Civil Service Commission hearing.
"It was so baseless and far-fetched, even the City didn't bother to do anything with it," said Higgins, Mahoney's attorney, after Tuesday's hearing on the current case. "Unfortunately, with people in family situations, people are mad at each other and there are high emotions and the courts are brought in. But there was no basis for it and that was the conclusion of everyone who looked at it."
The prior case wasn't presented this week to the Civil Service Commission because no charges were filed, which raised questions of its relevance, Assistant City Attorney Paul Olsen said after Tuesday's hearing.
In her request for the protection order, Thompson said she started dating Mahoney in 1996 when she was 19 and taking a kickboxing class that he taught at the University of Portland. Mahoney was then an adjunct professor of philosophy at the school, according to court records.
Several Seattle police officers testified this week in support of Mahoney. Many described him as a top-notch training instructor and an "asset" to the department. Some of the same officers defended him in court against his ex-girlfriend's domestic-violence allegations three years ago.
Sgt. Rich O'Neill, president of the Seattle Police Officers Guild, criticized the investigation, saying the department failed to question other potential witnesses or follow up on possibly exonerating evidence. He said Mahoney got hardball questions, while Newstrom was tossed a few softballs. Typically, lying must be proved with evidence of intent, he said.
"When someone is bringing allegations this serious, that allegation should be tested," he said.
Mahoney said he's filed a claim with the city's Office of Civil Rights against the Police Department, alleging discrimination against him for defending his girlfriend.
Under questioning from Olsen, the city's attorney, Mahoney testified about a letter he sent in January to the state Department of Labor and Industries accusing Sgt. Little of defrauding the state workers compensation fund. It also accused Assistant Chief Nick Metz of covering up misconduct. The letter was sent after Mahoney was suspended, according to testimony.
Yet, Mahoney said he would like to return to his prior assignment and continue improving self-defense training for officers. The Civil Service Commission is expected to rule within 90 days.
_____________________________
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009180826_spdappeal06m.html
Rob Mahoney, 46, a defensive-tactics instructor at the department's training center, said that his accuser, Heather Newstrom, was flirtatious and liked to hang around after training classes to talk to officers. He didn't deny giving her a peck on the cheek after she kissed him on the cheek and hugged him goodbye while the two were in an office after class on April 7, 2008. But, he said, that's as far as it went before he got a phone call and left.
"The allegation that I kissed her on the mouth and put my tongue in her mouth is made up," Mahoney said during Tuesday's hearing before the Public Safety Civil Service Commission.
But Newstrom, now 19 and attending the United States Military Academy, testified last week that as she stood up to leave, Mahoney grabbed her and said, "Now can I have a real kiss?" She said she was shocked and she turned her head and backed away. He dropped to his chair, placed his head in his hands, and apologized, she testified. The department's Office of Professional Accountability deemed her the more credible witness. Mahoney was suspended for 30 days and transferred to a desk job in the 911 center.
He has appealed, arguing the department lacked proof of dishonesty and unfairly disciplined him. The Seattle Police Officers' Guild says it's one of three cases in which officers were fired or disciplined for dishonesty since a new "presumption of termination" policy enacted last year. The other two cases were overturned by a civilian arbitrator, raising questions about how the new standard is applied.
Chief Gil Kerlikowske said he wanted to fire Mahoney under the policy but didn't think he had enough proof to do so. A dishonesty charge on his record, however, still would likely ruin Mahoney's career because it could be used against him in court.
The three-member commission must decide whether to uphold the chief's findings of professional misconduct and dishonesty or rule in favor of the officer. While Mahoney has no record of sustained misconduct, court records show he was the focus of a domestic-violence investigation in 2006 that resulted in no charges.
Newstrom, a Holy Names graduate, said she was 15 when she joined the police Explorers, a mentorship program for teenagers interested in police work and community service. They have uniforms and meet regularly under a department adviser. She said she enjoyed police training and providing security at community events. She said she did give hugs, which other officers said seemed like behavior typical of a high school student.
She said she got to know Mahoney taking his classes and looked to him as a mentor. Their friendship started because they share an interest in philosophy. Mahoney first noticed her because she stuck out while reading Mary Wollstonecraft's "A Vindication of the Rights of Women" while at the training center, he testified.
Mahoney testified that he's thinks investigators believed her because he made enemies on the command staff. He alleged that the captain overseeing the sexual-harassment investigation, Tag Gleason, held a grudge against him over a training program that he and several officers tried to start 8 years ago. Gleason then headed the training unit.
Mahoney said he drew Kerlikowske's scorn because he wrote a use-of-force analysis in support of two officers who were disciplined for beating a man outside a Capitol Hill nightclub over a littering complaint. The officers had asked him to do so because of his expertise. The case was one of two high-profile misconduct cases that led to a public controversy in 2007 over police accountability.
He testified that he's also in hot water for sticking up for his current girlfriend, Officer Susanna Munro, who filed a discrimination complaint against the Police Department. She testified Tuesday that she was turned down for a job on the Narcotics Unit over rumors that she was having an extramarital affair with Mahoney while married to another officer. Sgt. Alvin Little, who denied her application, is the current adviser to the Explorer program. He testified to helping Newstrom file a complaint against Mahoney.
Mahoney said he was viewed with suspicion from the start of his career because he has an advanced degree. He testified that he thinks his case was treated differently from other officers who denied allegations.
"I have no faith whatsoever in the ability of the (Office of Professional Accountability) to conduct a fair hearing of an officer who is politically unpopular in the department or in the community," he said.
Mahoney joined the department in 1998 after working as a college professor. He has a doctorate in philosophy from the University of Edinburgh. A New York City native, he started studying martial arts while growing up in the Bronx because the streets were rough but he wasn't a "tough kid," he said.
Mahoney's attorney, Alex Higgins, said the case boiled down to a "tall tale" told by Newstrom. He pointed out that Mahoney had no history of sustained complaints on his record.
While Mahoney alleges department officials were searching for reasons to ruin his career, they didn't do so three years ago when Mahoney was accused of threatening to kill his ex-girlfriend and her fiance, which triggered a criminal investigation, according to court records.
SeattlePI.com obtained court records this week showing that Mahoney's ex-girlfriend, Siolo Thompson, filed for a court protection order against him in March 2006. Her then-fiance, Bart Keogh, a doctor at Harborview Medical Center, also said in a sworn statement that Mahoney made threats to kill him.
Both said Mahoney was jealous, verbally and physically abusive to Thompson, and had used his authority as a police officer to reach her at work. A judge declined to issue a permanent order, which would have required Mahoney to surrender his gun, but entered a less restrictive restraining order under a settlement between both sides, according to court records.
Mahoney and Thompson have a son together. After their separation in 2003, the court awarded custody to Mahoney with a visitation plan. In his statements from that case, Mahoney said Thompson, also a trained martial artist, was unstable and the one who threatened him, once warning that she would run away with their son to South America, where she is from, according to court documents.
Keogh also filed a complaint with Seattle police, which was investigated. King County prosecutors reviewed the allegations but didn't file charges in part because the woman later decided not to cooperate, saying she feared jeopardizing Mahoney's career, said Ian Goodhew, chief of staff in the Prosecutor's Office.
Prosecutors require proof the victim had a reasonable fear of the threat. Another issue arose with the fiance's call to police, in which he had at first phrased as a hypothetical "what-if" an officer had threatened to kill him, Goodhew said.
The Police Department also found no evidence of misconduct and the investigation was closed. No information from that case was presented during Mahoney's Civil Service Commission hearing.
"It was so baseless and far-fetched, even the City didn't bother to do anything with it," said Higgins, Mahoney's attorney, after Tuesday's hearing on the current case. "Unfortunately, with people in family situations, people are mad at each other and there are high emotions and the courts are brought in. But there was no basis for it and that was the conclusion of everyone who looked at it."
The prior case wasn't presented this week to the Civil Service Commission because no charges were filed, which raised questions of its relevance, Assistant City Attorney Paul Olsen said after Tuesday's hearing.
In her request for the protection order, Thompson said she started dating Mahoney in 1996 when she was 19 and taking a kickboxing class that he taught at the University of Portland. Mahoney was then an adjunct professor of philosophy at the school, according to court records.
Several Seattle police officers testified this week in support of Mahoney. Many described him as a top-notch training instructor and an "asset" to the department. Some of the same officers defended him in court against his ex-girlfriend's domestic-violence allegations three years ago.
Sgt. Rich O'Neill, president of the Seattle Police Officers Guild, criticized the investigation, saying the department failed to question other potential witnesses or follow up on possibly exonerating evidence. He said Mahoney got hardball questions, while Newstrom was tossed a few softballs. Typically, lying must be proved with evidence of intent, he said.
"When someone is bringing allegations this serious, that allegation should be tested," he said.
Mahoney said he's filed a claim with the city's Office of Civil Rights against the Police Department, alleging discrimination against him for defending his girlfriend.
Under questioning from Olsen, the city's attorney, Mahoney testified about a letter he sent in January to the state Department of Labor and Industries accusing Sgt. Little of defrauding the state workers compensation fund. It also accused Assistant Chief Nick Metz of covering up misconduct. The letter was sent after Mahoney was suspended, according to testimony.
Yet, Mahoney said he would like to return to his prior assignment and continue improving self-defense training for officers. The Civil Service Commission is expected to rule within 90 days.
_____________________________
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009180826_spdappeal06m.html
Tuesday, March 03, 2009
Insp. Steve Izzett Charged with Sexual Harassment
The head of the Toronto police intelligence unit was charged with sexual harassment yesterday after an internal investigation fuelled by complaints from numerous police staff.
Staff Insp. Steve Izzett faces nine charges under the Police Act, including oppressive and tyrannical behaviour, deceit, abuse of authority and misconduct related to an investigation.
Izzett, who was up for promotion last year and has been suspended since last fall, will appear before an internal tribunal April 27, following an investigation by the professional standards unit that began in mid-September.
The charges will be outlined fully following his April appearance, Toronto police spokesperson Mark Pugash said yesterday.
The investigation was launched when a detective sergeant in Izzett's unit complained she was sexually harassed. Since then, more people have come forward with allegations of abuse and bullying. Sources said yesterday the number of complainants is in the "double digits."
It has not been revealed whether the complainants were in Izzett's unit, or how long ago the alleged incidents occurred.
Izzett was considered one of the top officers within the Toronto Police Service. As head of a major unit, he was only a few rungs below the chief. Izzett had held his position for about two years before the investigation began.
As commander of Intelligence Services, he was in charge of investigations into hate crimes, outlaw motorcycle gangs and organized crime.
The unit's primary responsibility is to assemble criminal intelligence and deal with confidential information.
Since his suspension last fall, every weekday morning Izzett drives from his Durham home to Toronto police headquarters at Yonge and College Sts.
But instead of taking the elevators to his office, he signs in at the duty desk and goes back to his car. He signs out at 4 p.m. each day.
While few details about the original allegations have emerged, the initial complainant requested from the outset that her file be dealt with by Professional Standards and not become a criminal investigation, sources said. Because of that, only Police Services Act charges were laid against Izzett. He has not been charged criminally.
When the allegations surfaced in September, the Special Investigations Unit became involved briefly. The SIU probes incidents involving police and civilians where there is death, injury or sexual assault. SIU officials confirmed at the time they completed a preliminary inquiry into the matter on Sept. 17 and referred it back to Toronto police.
Professional Standards can issue criminal charges – if they are warranted – in addition to taking non-criminal disciplinary action.
When an officer is found guilty by an internal tribunal, the hearing officers decide on his or her penalty. This could range from dismissal to demotion or a reprimand.
Staff Insp. Steve Izzett faces nine charges under the Police Act, including oppressive and tyrannical behaviour, deceit, abuse of authority and misconduct related to an investigation.
Izzett, who was up for promotion last year and has been suspended since last fall, will appear before an internal tribunal April 27, following an investigation by the professional standards unit that began in mid-September.
The charges will be outlined fully following his April appearance, Toronto police spokesperson Mark Pugash said yesterday.
The investigation was launched when a detective sergeant in Izzett's unit complained she was sexually harassed. Since then, more people have come forward with allegations of abuse and bullying. Sources said yesterday the number of complainants is in the "double digits."
It has not been revealed whether the complainants were in Izzett's unit, or how long ago the alleged incidents occurred.
Izzett was considered one of the top officers within the Toronto Police Service. As head of a major unit, he was only a few rungs below the chief. Izzett had held his position for about two years before the investigation began.
As commander of Intelligence Services, he was in charge of investigations into hate crimes, outlaw motorcycle gangs and organized crime.
The unit's primary responsibility is to assemble criminal intelligence and deal with confidential information.
Since his suspension last fall, every weekday morning Izzett drives from his Durham home to Toronto police headquarters at Yonge and College Sts.
But instead of taking the elevators to his office, he signs in at the duty desk and goes back to his car. He signs out at 4 p.m. each day.
While few details about the original allegations have emerged, the initial complainant requested from the outset that her file be dealt with by Professional Standards and not become a criminal investigation, sources said. Because of that, only Police Services Act charges were laid against Izzett. He has not been charged criminally.
When the allegations surfaced in September, the Special Investigations Unit became involved briefly. The SIU probes incidents involving police and civilians where there is death, injury or sexual assault. SIU officials confirmed at the time they completed a preliminary inquiry into the matter on Sept. 17 and referred it back to Toronto police.
Professional Standards can issue criminal charges – if they are warranted – in addition to taking non-criminal disciplinary action.
When an officer is found guilty by an internal tribunal, the hearing officers decide on his or her penalty. This could range from dismissal to demotion or a reprimand.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Several Inglewood Officers Involved in Sex-Related Scandals
Inglewood police officers have repeatedly been embroiled in sex-related scandals over the last five years, according to court documents, law enforcement records and interviews.
In May 2004, Officer Ron Navarreta, a 13-year veteran, was fired after FBI agents discovered that a suspect in a child pornography investigation had e-mailed explicit images to Navarreta's AOL account, according to court records. Investigators found that Navarreta's AOL account included a screen name called "PlyGRoUndObsver." An agent alleged that the screen name's user prowled the Internet seeking a relationship with a mother and daughter and listed "teaching vey yng fem students about love" as a hobby, according to internal affairs records that Navarreta's attorney included in a civil court case filed to get his job back.
Navarreta denied receiving the images e-mailed to him by the child-porn suspect. FBI agents were unable to examine the computers he used because they had been sold or reported stolen.
An arbitrator found there was not enough evidence to prove Navarreta knowingly received child porn but concluded that he lied to the FBI and Inglewood investigators and should be fired. A judge upheld his termination.
Later that year, an anonymous letter sent to the department's Internal Affairs Bureau prompted a sexual harassment investigation of traffic Officer James Manzi.
Manzi, according to an internal affairs report included in court records, played for on-duty colleagues a videotape and an audio recording of himself having sex. Manzi was suspended for 20 days but retired on disability before the discipline was imposed. He declined to comment.
In January 2006, another officer was accused of taking a cellphone photograph of an inmate during a strip search. The officer was suspended and then fired for unrelated misconduct.
Police Chief Jacqueline Seabrooks said supervisors now monitor strip searches. "That's one of the circumstances where we have to be exceedingly careful because it has the potential to be interpreted as something very demeaning," she said.
In December 2006, a woman visiting from Florida claimed that an on-duty Inglewood officer raped her and forced her to perform sexual acts while he kept his hand on his holstered gun.
According to a district attorney's report, the woman was standing on a street corner wearing a miniskirt and fishnet stockings when Officers Donvey Lindsey and Brandon Beak pulled up, suspecting she was a prostitute.
The officers followed the woman back to her motel and confirmed she was a registered guest, according to the report. Lindsey then followed her to her room, telling Beak that he would check her identification, Beak told authorities.
The woman, in a statement to the FBI, claimed she complied with Lindsey's orders to perform sexual acts because he threatened to arrest her.
Prosecutors declined to file charges, saying it would be difficult to prove the case because the woman had been arrested for prostitution in her home state. The woman has filed a federal civil rights suit against the city. The suit is pending.
Seabrooks said Lindsey has been fired. He did not return a call seeking comment.
Just two months after the rape claim, the city was shaken by allegations that other officers visited prostitutes at massage parlors. Among them was six-year veteran Officer Richard Correa. According to civil court records, a prostitute who worked at a massage parlor on La Brea Avenue told investigators that she had performed a sex act on Correa while he was on duty and in uniform. She implicated other officers who she said frequented the massage parlor for sex and promised to alert her to police raids.
Correa told internal affairs investigators that he had sex with an employee at a different massage parlor on Manchester Boulevard while in uniform, court records show. He denied paying her and said it happened only once.
"That was a bad decision on my part, and it's stupid," he told investigators. He was fired in March 2007.
A department spokesman said seven officers were fired for allegedly visiting the massage parlors or covering for officers who did.
Seabrooks said she and her predecessors have moved swiftly to rid the department of officers who commit serious misconduct. She said the 195-officer force should not be judged based on the conduct of a relative handful of officers.
"It is unfortunate that these things seemed to have plagued us," she said. "In any barrel, you're bound to find some bad apples that touch each other, and you're going to find the vast majority that are just fine."
more information: http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/la-me-inglewood28-2008dec28,0,5305146.story
In May 2004, Officer Ron Navarreta, a 13-year veteran, was fired after FBI agents discovered that a suspect in a child pornography investigation had e-mailed explicit images to Navarreta's AOL account, according to court records. Investigators found that Navarreta's AOL account included a screen name called "PlyGRoUndObsver." An agent alleged that the screen name's user prowled the Internet seeking a relationship with a mother and daughter and listed "teaching vey yng fem students about love" as a hobby, according to internal affairs records that Navarreta's attorney included in a civil court case filed to get his job back.
Navarreta denied receiving the images e-mailed to him by the child-porn suspect. FBI agents were unable to examine the computers he used because they had been sold or reported stolen.
An arbitrator found there was not enough evidence to prove Navarreta knowingly received child porn but concluded that he lied to the FBI and Inglewood investigators and should be fired. A judge upheld his termination.
Later that year, an anonymous letter sent to the department's Internal Affairs Bureau prompted a sexual harassment investigation of traffic Officer James Manzi.
Manzi, according to an internal affairs report included in court records, played for on-duty colleagues a videotape and an audio recording of himself having sex. Manzi was suspended for 20 days but retired on disability before the discipline was imposed. He declined to comment.
In January 2006, another officer was accused of taking a cellphone photograph of an inmate during a strip search. The officer was suspended and then fired for unrelated misconduct.
Police Chief Jacqueline Seabrooks said supervisors now monitor strip searches. "That's one of the circumstances where we have to be exceedingly careful because it has the potential to be interpreted as something very demeaning," she said.
In December 2006, a woman visiting from Florida claimed that an on-duty Inglewood officer raped her and forced her to perform sexual acts while he kept his hand on his holstered gun.
According to a district attorney's report, the woman was standing on a street corner wearing a miniskirt and fishnet stockings when Officers Donvey Lindsey and Brandon Beak pulled up, suspecting she was a prostitute.
The officers followed the woman back to her motel and confirmed she was a registered guest, according to the report. Lindsey then followed her to her room, telling Beak that he would check her identification, Beak told authorities.
The woman, in a statement to the FBI, claimed she complied with Lindsey's orders to perform sexual acts because he threatened to arrest her.
Prosecutors declined to file charges, saying it would be difficult to prove the case because the woman had been arrested for prostitution in her home state. The woman has filed a federal civil rights suit against the city. The suit is pending.
Seabrooks said Lindsey has been fired. He did not return a call seeking comment.
Just two months after the rape claim, the city was shaken by allegations that other officers visited prostitutes at massage parlors. Among them was six-year veteran Officer Richard Correa. According to civil court records, a prostitute who worked at a massage parlor on La Brea Avenue told investigators that she had performed a sex act on Correa while he was on duty and in uniform. She implicated other officers who she said frequented the massage parlor for sex and promised to alert her to police raids.
Correa told internal affairs investigators that he had sex with an employee at a different massage parlor on Manchester Boulevard while in uniform, court records show. He denied paying her and said it happened only once.
"That was a bad decision on my part, and it's stupid," he told investigators. He was fired in March 2007.
A department spokesman said seven officers were fired for allegedly visiting the massage parlors or covering for officers who did.
Seabrooks said she and her predecessors have moved swiftly to rid the department of officers who commit serious misconduct. She said the 195-officer force should not be judged based on the conduct of a relative handful of officers.
"It is unfortunate that these things seemed to have plagued us," she said. "In any barrel, you're bound to find some bad apples that touch each other, and you're going to find the vast majority that are just fine."
more information: http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/la-me-inglewood28-2008dec28,0,5305146.story
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Chief West Resigns and Capt. Stewart Arrested
HAINES CITY
Indicted on two perjury counts, Haines City police Capt. Mervin Stewart, left, is escorted by Polk County sheriff's Deputy Bryan Mixon to central booking at the Polk County Sheriff's Office in Bartow late this afternoon.
Haines City Police Chief Morris West resigned Wednesday and Capt. Mervin Stewart, the department’s second in command, was indicted Thursday as a lengthy investigation into the department came to a close.
Stewart was indicted and arrested Thursday afternoon on perjury charges stemming from statements he made denying claims of sexual harassment by a female officer as well as not admitting to having had a sexual relationship with a different female officer.
West, who was indicted Oct. 24 on two misdemeanor counts of soliciting prostitution, was given an offer by the State Attorney’s Office to avoid prosecution if he resigned and gave up his police standards. That means he will not be able to serve as a certified law enforcement officer, said Chip Thullbery, a spokesman for the State Attorney’s Office in Bartow.
West’s charges were unrelated to those of Stewart.
Under the agreement, West must notify the State Attorney’s Office of any address change and not violate any federal, state or local law.
The Haines City Police Department has been under the direction of Maj. Mike Pruitt of the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, who was appointed by City Manager Ann Toney-Deal after West’s indictment two weeks ago.
Stewart, 43, was arrested around 4 p.m. Thursday after receiving a grand jury indictment on two counts of perjury related to testimony made Nov. 6 before the grand jury. He had been suspended with pay on Nov. 7.
According to the indictment, the first count refers to false statements Stewart made before the grand jury about a sexual harassment complaint filed by Haines City police Officer Nicole Gusaeff. Stewart told the grand jury that he did not, during the evening of April 12, put his arm around Gusaeff at a local bar following the Policeman’s Ball.
In the second count, Stewart is accused of lying under oath about an alleged sexual relationship with Officer Emelynda Hernandez, the indictment states. Hernandez also was suspended with pay on Nov. 7 but she resigned Monday.
Stewart had been with the Haines City Police Department since 1991. Hernandez joined the department in 2003.
Though the indictments for West and Stewart are unrelated, they stemmed from the same investigation the State Attorney’s Office began in August, Thullbery said.
West’s indictment alleges that he solicited 31-year old Kimberly Latrice Willis Ambrose to commit prostitution three times in 2007 between Nov. 22 and Dec. 25. He was not arrested because the charges were misdemeanors.
West had been with the Haines City Police Department since 1985 when he was hired as a patrolman. He served as detective, sergeant and lieutenant before being appointed interim police chief when former Police Chief Tom Wheeler retired. West, a Haines City native, became police chief in August 2003. At the time of his resignation, he was paid an annual salary of $72,519.07.
More Information: http://www.newschief.com/article/20081115/NEWS/811150295/1021/NEWS01?Title=Interim_Haines_City_chief_staying_as_long_as_needed
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Officer Huy Chi Tran Charged with Harassing Several Women
A Houston police officer has been relieved of duty, charged with oppression and harassment of a least six women he pulled over during traffic stops, authorities said.
In each case, the women involved say Huy Chi Tran, 32, made harassing sexual advances toward them. After the traffic stops, Tran is accused of repeatedly calling the women and asking them out on dates in an exchange for dismissing their tickets, said Harris County District Attorney's Office spokeswoman Donna Hawkins.
HPD spokesman Sgt. John Chomiak could only confirm that Tran had been relieved of duty last Thursday.
Tran's next scheduled court appearance is Thursday. The District Attorney's Office asks anyone who believes he or she may be a victim in this case to call 713-755-8330.
Click here to see the full video story by FOX 26's Isiah Carey.
In each case, the women involved say Huy Chi Tran, 32, made harassing sexual advances toward them. After the traffic stops, Tran is accused of repeatedly calling the women and asking them out on dates in an exchange for dismissing their tickets, said Harris County District Attorney's Office spokeswoman Donna Hawkins.
HPD spokesman Sgt. John Chomiak could only confirm that Tran had been relieved of duty last Thursday.
Tran's next scheduled court appearance is Thursday. The District Attorney's Office asks anyone who believes he or she may be a victim in this case to call 713-755-8330.
Click here to see the full video story by FOX 26's Isiah Carey.
Friday, September 12, 2008
Officer Tony Smith Fired for Insubordination
Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo today fired a police officer for insubordination after he said the officer posted a blog entry that his superiors concluded was meant to undermine the chief’s authority, according to a disciplinary memo.
According to the memo, officer Tony Smith posted an article from the blog on a bulletin board regarding a sexual harassment claim against Acevedo when he worked with the California Highway patrol. The memo alleges that Smith circulated the printout in protest of the firing of Sgt. Dustin Lee.
Lee was fired in June after he was accused of repeatedly sexually harassing a police employee and lying about it to internal affairs investigators.
According to the memo, Smith said during a dismissal hearing that he, “posted the blog because it was interesting and denied any intent to criticize, ridicule, or undermine,” Acevedo.
His chain of command disagreed, according to the memo, and concluded that Smith intended to undermine the chief’s authority.
Acevedo said in the memo that he recused himself from the review hearing because the incident involved himself. He left it up to Smith’s chain of command to recommend an appropriate discipline.
Smith has worked for the department since 2003, and has been disciplined several times, the memo said.
In 2005, he was suspended for 60 days after he was accused of refusing to end a relationship with a methamphetamine user and misusing city equipment to check the woman for warrants at her request, according to the memo. He was also accused of failing to take police action when he believed the woman was purchasing drugs, the memo said.
Several years ago, Acevedo, then a chief with the California highway patrol, was sued along with the highway patrol by a female employee whom Acevedo had dated a decade earlier. She said in the lawsuit that he had taken nude photos of her and shown them to other agency officials.
The lawsuit was dismissed, except for one allegation that Acevedo said was unrelated to his work and was settled. Acevedo said terms of the settlement prevent him from discussing the matter, and the case has been sealed by a judge.
http://www.txcn.com/sharedcontent/dws/txcn/austin/stories/091008kvue_APD_officer_fired-cb.63390686.html
According to the memo, officer Tony Smith posted an article from the blog on a bulletin board regarding a sexual harassment claim against Acevedo when he worked with the California Highway patrol. The memo alleges that Smith circulated the printout in protest of the firing of Sgt. Dustin Lee.
Lee was fired in June after he was accused of repeatedly sexually harassing a police employee and lying about it to internal affairs investigators.
According to the memo, Smith said during a dismissal hearing that he, “posted the blog because it was interesting and denied any intent to criticize, ridicule, or undermine,” Acevedo.
His chain of command disagreed, according to the memo, and concluded that Smith intended to undermine the chief’s authority.
Acevedo said in the memo that he recused himself from the review hearing because the incident involved himself. He left it up to Smith’s chain of command to recommend an appropriate discipline.
Smith has worked for the department since 2003, and has been disciplined several times, the memo said.
In 2005, he was suspended for 60 days after he was accused of refusing to end a relationship with a methamphetamine user and misusing city equipment to check the woman for warrants at her request, according to the memo. He was also accused of failing to take police action when he believed the woman was purchasing drugs, the memo said.
Several years ago, Acevedo, then a chief with the California highway patrol, was sued along with the highway patrol by a female employee whom Acevedo had dated a decade earlier. She said in the lawsuit that he had taken nude photos of her and shown them to other agency officials.
The lawsuit was dismissed, except for one allegation that Acevedo said was unrelated to his work and was settled. Acevedo said terms of the settlement prevent him from discussing the matter, and the case has been sealed by a judge.
http://www.txcn.com/sharedcontent/dws/txcn/austin/stories/091008kvue_APD_officer_fired-cb.63390686.html
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