NYPD Worker Alleges Retaliation After Requesting Transfer Following Domestic Violence Incident
A fingerprint technician with the NYPD, Santio Williams, has filed a lawsuit claiming she faced discrimination and retaliation after requesting a transfer to avoid potential encounters with her alleged abuser. Williams, who began working at the NYPD in May 2023, stated that her ordeal began when she sought reassignment following an alleged domestic violence attack by her husband.
According to Williams, her request to be relocated from 1 Police Plaza was denied. Instead, she was reassigned to a department notorious for harassment, abuse, and micromanagement, she alleged.
Her legal action also outlines further mistreatment. When Williams’ sister passed away in October, she applied for bereavement leave and submitted a death certificate. Her supervisor, however, demanded additional proof, including a funeral program listing siblings, a requirement not standard in the department.
“It’s like a torture chamber,” Williams said, describing her experience. The lawsuit claims that persistent harassment caused severe stress and panic attacks, which led to emergency medical intervention on at least two occasions.
Workplace Challenges and Alleged Retaliation
Williams said her challenges began after fleeing her abusive husband and moving to a domestic violence shelter in 2022. She had requested a transfer for security reasons, advised by her caseworker to seek work in a different ZIP code to make it harder for her husband to locate her.
The department denied the request, claiming there were no other available fingerprint technician positions. Williams contends that this explanation was invalid, as she had been performing higher-ranking duties as a police administrative aide (PAA) for months. Despite her qualifications, she was reassigned to her fingerprint technician role.
After this transfer, Williams claims the harassment intensified. She alleges that her supervisor ostracized her, failed to communicate important updates, and excluded her from office-wide activities. Requests for leave, including to participate in “bring-your-child-to-work” day, were denied, she said.
Williams also reported being reprimanded unfairly for minor infractions, such as returning one minute late from breaks, and claimed her supervisor distorted facts in these incidents.
Emotional Toll and Broader Implications
The hostility took a severe emotional and physical toll on Williams, who is a single mother of two children, aged 3 and 8. She described the stress of her work environment as “a nightmare,” which affected her health and well-being.
Her attorney, John Scola, argued that the NYPD has a pattern of retaliating against employees who request accommodations. “In a disturbing contradiction of its mission to prevent domestic violence, the department refused to provide a necessary accommodation… and then retaliated against her for seeking safety,” Scola said.
The lawsuit follows another similar case filed by a Staten Island detective in October, who alleged harassment and racism after requesting accommodations as a single mother.
NYPD’s Response
The NYPD declined to comment on the pending litigation but emphasized its commitment to creating a respectful work environment for its diverse workforce.
Williams expressed hope that NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch would address these issues, particularly the behavior of managers who she believes abuse their authority due to personal biases.
“When you have an emotional manager who decides they don’t like someone, they will make their life a living hell,” Williams said, voicing her concerns about leadership within the department.
Her lawsuit, filed in Manhattan Supreme Court, seeks accountability for what she describes as systemic failures in accommodating and supporting employees in need.
