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Wednesday, March 27, 2024 | Back issues
Courthouse News Service Courthouse News Service

Syracuse Cops Accused of Sexist Abuse

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (CN) - A police captain impregnated an officer and threatened to derail her career if she didn't have an abortion, she claims in Federal Court. And she claims the police circulated a memo that mocked her as someone "who gets pregnant and is not sure who the Dad is and refuses to come back to work until they get a day job. This is [Plaintiff's Name] Day."

Kimberly Calverase claims that when she refused to abort the child, she was transferred to a "less desirable platoon," denied overtime and dropped from a promotions list.

The complaint states: "Defendant Shannon Trice, Plaintiff's senior officer, fathered Plaintiff's child and when told of the pregnancy, he requested an abortion. When Plaintiff refused to abort the pregnancy, Trice threatened Plaintiff's employment, warning that her career was over and that she would never advance or go anywhere in the Department and that she would be another 'Kathy Lee,' referring to a female officer in the Department who is notoriously ridiculed, disparaged, and maligned by members of the Syracuse Police Department."

She claims Capt. Trice "engaged in a continuous campaign of harassment and intimidation."

Calverase also sued the City of Syracuse and its Police Department. She claims the Police Department subject female officers to greater scrutiny and "treats women as second class citizens."

She says she repeatedly applied for transfers and was passed over in favor of male officers with less seniority.

She says she was denied a "hardship request" to work days due to child care issues, while male officers were granted the accommodation.

She says her complaints to Internal Affairs were ignored. She also named the Police Department's equal employment officer Ronald Rockwell, Police Chief Gary Miguel and deputy police chief David Barrette as defendants.

She claims that "while at work, Plaintiff was threatened by Defendant Captain Trice regarding a pending child support matter when he told Plaintiff that she f----d up now' and would 'definitely regret this'".

She claims Trice would routinely check her time sheets to try to reduce his child support payments.

She claims that many other officers on the force, up to the rank of deputy chief, "foster an atmosphere of discrimination, retaliation and harassment based upon sexual factors."

And she says that when she complained about being taken off the short list for promotion to sergeant or lieutenants, and of being denied overtime, a sergeant laughed at her and told her to "add it to the lawsuit."

Calverase demands punitive damages for retaliation and gender discrimination, breach of contract, civil rights violations, and other charges. She is represented by A.J. Bosman of Rome, N.Y.

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