Recruiter Embroiled in|Louima Cop Fallout

MANHATTAN (CN) - A recruiter who found work for a former New York City police officer disgraced after the Abner Louima brutalization case is now suing over her own employment.

Louima, a Haitian immigrant, became an icon in the movement against police brutality after he required several surgeries in 1997 because Brooklyn police officers had sodomized the man with a broken broomstick in a precinct bathroom.

Charles Schwartz was among several officers whose careers the case ended. A jury found that the veteran officer had lied about what happened to Louima.

After serving five years in connection to that conviction, Schwartz apparently applied to Consolidated Edison in July 2014 for mechanic work.

Kimberly Allen-Foster, the recruiter who reviewed Schwartz's application, says Schwartz was qualified for the job and that his perjury conviction had no bearing on his ability to perform the duties of the position.

In early December, just a few weeks after Con Ed officially hired Schwartz, one of Allen-Foster's supervisors allegedly approached her about the former police officer's criminal history.

Allen-Foster says she told the surpervisor "that she hired Mr. Schwarz in order to comply with city and state law because a refusal to hire Mr. Schwarz based on his criminal history would have violated the law, including Article 23-A of the state corrections law."

Allen-Foster says she understood the warnings that she had "violated company policy" and "put the company at risk" to mean that her bosses planned to "throw [her] under the bus.

Indeed Con Ed fired Allen-Foster on Dec. 11, the complaint filed Friday in Manhattan Supreme Court states.

Allen-Foster seeks punitive damages and reinstatement for violations of two human rights laws against unlawful retaliation.

She is represented by Alan Serrins of Serrins Fisher.

Con Edison did not respond to a request for comment by press time.

Schwartz is not a party to the action.

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