New York City has spent nearly $13million in settlements over claims of sexual harassment or sex discrimination involving its employees over the past four years, reports have revealed.
About $3.95million – one-quarter of the $12.8million total forked over between 2014 and 2017 – was related to accusations against the NYPD.
The majority of the settlements came after accusers threatened or filed lawsuits, according to records obtained by the New York Daily News that were published on Tuesday.
New York City forked over $12.8million in settlements for claims of sexual harassment and discrimination between 2014 and 2017 under Mayor Bill de Blasio, pictured, reports reveal
The largest settlement was $817,500, awarded to Officer Maria Lampley.
In 2014 Lampley had accused a lieutenant colleague, Alexander Rojas, of attempting to kiss her several times in his office and blocking her from being able to leave – which Rojas has denied.
Right behind the NYPD with the second-highest bill was the Department of Education, which was involved in 18 settlements with workers who said they had been harassed, totaling $2.1million.
About $3.95million – one-quarter of the $12.8million total forked over between 2014 and 2017 – was related to accusations against the NYPD
Ironically, the agency charged with investigating cases involving Education workers, the Office of the Special Commissioner of Investigation, paid a former investigator $48,000 for a harassment complaint in 2017.
In the third-highest spot was the Health and Hospital Corp with 15 settlements costing $1.78million.
The data revealed that the city has been lax in investigating claims,and that even when claims were substantiated, some of the accused were able to keep their jobs.
In April the office of Mayor Bill de Blasio revealed city agencies had amassed a total of more than 1,300 sexual harassment complaints between July of 2013 and the end of December 2017.
Of those claims less than 20 percent, 221, were substantiated.
Overall the city settled with 90 victims with convincing evidence of ongoing harassment as well as experiencing retaliation after filing a complaint.
In May de Blasio introduced new legislation aimed at protecting against workplace harassment by increasing training and reporting.