CITY OF HARTFORD INTERDEPARTMENTAL MEMORANDUM. TO: Cherese Chery, Human Resources Director FROM: Kelly A. Baerga, LGBTQ Liaison/ Recruitment Officer DATE: February 11, 2019 SUBJECT: Sexual Harassment/Disparate Treatment Complaint ‘The purpose of this memorandum is to document a timeline of events that demonstrates the Hartford Police Department's lack of transparency, accountability, and empathy for their female counterparts. I find it to be ironic, the City of Hartford and Hartford Police Department claim to bbe entrenched in policy & procedure to include a Zero tolerance of sexual harassment in the workplace, and yet have failed to ensure my fundamental right of a sexual and gender bias-free work environment. The cost of the department's inaction has not only caused a health issue of depression and sleeplessness but also created an atmosphere filled with anxiety, hopelessness, and constant and continued fear of retaliation and compromised safety. As the department has spared no additional resources to deter this kind of behavior in the future; No training, no discipline, becoming too often a pattem of predictability, creating unacceptable and hostile work conditions. The administration's callous handling of issues related to gender, race, and sexual orientation has created extreme isolation for me, as an unrepresented class of employee. The Hartford Police Department and the City of Hartford have regularly demonstrated corrupt values and a questionable moral compass by allowing gross misconduct by favored employees. In short, our current administration has shown undeniably that a "Good Ole’ Boys" network exists and many female officers, to include me, are made to feel that the incidents of sexual harassment and discrimination ate of no consequence, which undermines useful policing roles and destroys employee trust and morale. The inconsistencies with follow through coupled with the underutilization of department directives to establish checks and balances promote a policing culture that prefers to protect individuals who are guilty of wrongdoing, rather than those who are oppressed and victimized. This institutional outing of protected classes’ brands those who seek justice from disparate treatment, as troublemakers who bring discord to an otherwise harmonious department, On May 30, 2018, Lieutenant Paul West, then the Commander of the Recruitment Division filed sexual harassment and discrimination complaints on my behalf, This complaint was regarding derogatory, overt, inappropriate comments and offensive behavior displayed by Sergeant Andrew Rodney during a recruitment event. To this date, (approximately nine months) I have yet to be notified of my complaints disposition or given any reassuring instruction or measures to ensure my safety. In that same complaint, my desire to no longer remain assigned to the Recruitment Division was also documented; and ignored,In retrospect, Sergeant Rodney's behavior presents as deliberate, calculated, and progressive. He is exceptionally chauvinistic and has been allowed to exhibit rapacious behaviors, comments, and actions without repercussions, The Hartford Police Department and The City of Hartford's inability to administer swift, appropriate, and proportional remedial action demonstrates the overall disposition of the institution and their diminished value of harassed employees. This administration has shown to be devious, far from transparent, and even worse, takes no accountability of situations that could have been prevented, had they rose to the occasion when placed on notice by victims. It is no coincidence that Sergeant Rodney, who was a supervisor in the Intelligence Division, would once again receive unfair protections as his integrity and behavior are again called into question, His placement within the Recruitment Division is to minimize inquiries of allegations; he purchased an unregistered assault weapon from an elderly woman who was waiting in line for Hartford's "Gun Buy Back Program." A program implemented to remove illegal guns off the street in hopes of reducing crime and violence. Rodney's missteps in conduct are habitual and increasing in severity, and unless dealt with harshly, he is not only free to remain a predator but may prove to be an unfavorable representative of the department, as community members have heard him brag of his indiscretions absent regulation. The Hartford Police Department would instead quell favored swom personnel misconduct by integrating them into a new division of concentration, opposed to disciplining them, Sergeant Rodney is intrusive, entitled, and manipulative and fails to respect people's personal space. On two occasions (Capitol Community College & Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Job Fair) during two separate recruitment events, he nudged me to draw my attention to a voluptuous ‘woman walking past our recruitment table, his eyes fixated on her body. Sergeant Rodney did not attempt to be discreet in any way, making the encounter extremely uncomfortable. Sergeant Rodney assumed that because I am a gay woman that I was interested in what he discemed as attractive. In April 2018, Sergeant Rodney and I had a scheduled meeting, with CT State Police Recruiter, Sergeant James Scott. After our meeting, Sergeant Scott suggested we get lunch; at which time Sergeant Rodney recommended a local Jamaican restaurant in the north end. When we entered the restaurant, Sergeant Scott and I were speaking about the menu and food; I informed Sergeant Scott that I was a vegetarian. Sergeant Rodney, who was not involved in the conversation, placed his face between us and shouted, "How can she be a vegetarian when she eats fish?” He ‘then burst out in laughter. Embarrassed, I walked over to the counter and away from Sergeant Rodney. I was quiet for the remainder of our lunch and could come up with no other reason a statement like that would be made, but that Sergeant Rodney intended to "out me" to Sergeant Scott, which I felt was immensely insensitive and inappropriate. Upon Lieutenant West's return from Southern Police Institute, he took both Sergeant Rodney and me out for lunch. As we approached the vehicle, Rodney rushed to the front passenger seat. Lieutenant West said to Sergeant Rodney, "You should always offer the front seat to 2 lady." Bursting out in laughter, Sergeant Rodney replied, "Kelly is not a real lady." I received this comment as yet another homophobic or derogatory comment, insinuating that women were of a lower class and that we should always take a back seat. Due to increasing discomfort with Sergeant Rodney's behavior towards women, I made every attempt over the next few weeks to significantly reduce our work time together; often opting todo work that could be done alone as opposed to partnering with him, 1 thought about approaching the administration, Deputy Chief Rendock, and Assistant Chief Medina, but it was apparent both approved of Sergeant Rodney's character, never addressing Sergeant Rodney about ircumventing Lieutenant West by directly reporting to Deputy Chief Rendock; despite Lieutenant West's return, This permissive behavior diluted the agencies rank structure and undermined an upper-level supervisor, creating tension and confusion for me, the only officer in the division On May 26, 2018, overwhelmed with anxiety and stressed about having to travel alone with Sergeant Rodney to a recruitment event in Bridgeport, CT; I spoke with and requested that Lieutenant West accompany us to the event. At the time, not knowing why 1 was so adamant that he (Lieutenant West) attend the recruitment event, Lieutenant West contacted Sergeant Rodney by text message and offered him the day off, as he did me since it was during the Memorial Day weekend, and we are both veterans and could have lost someone in service, Sergeant Rodney opted to attend and upon arrival to the department, and while he and I prepared for the trip to Bridgeport, he complained to me in an angry tone, he was offended that Lieutenant West would offer him the day off for Memorial Day, "Doesn't he know that this is a day of mourning for those who served?" Sergeant Rodney continued to say, "He is not getting overtime because I didn’t tell Rendock that he was going." Sergeant Rodney then chuckled in annoyance, while we waited for Lieutenant West to come to the car. When we arrived at the recruitment event in Bridgeport, I could tell that Sergeant Rodney was annoyed Lieutenant West had accompanied us to the affair. No matter what the subject of conversation, Sergeant Rodney would make comments about Lieutenant West in front of me, often comparing their physical attributes, which came actoss as being competitive in nature, as if he was vying for my attention, I strongly feel it was his goal to "turn me" as he finds lesbians useless. The recruitment event had approximately 400 participants and a good number of women in attendance. The Bridgeport Police Department placed a table by the front doors, and since we were competing with them for the same participants, we decided to set up a station where participants entered in from the track and would stand to wait to receive their C.H.LP. cards. Lieutenant West and Sergeant Rodney stood by a table along a wall opposite of me to collect names and contact information while approximately six feet away, I was positioned at the top of a stairwell that led test takers from the track outside to the hallway where we all stood near each other. I greeted the attendees, handed recruitment fliers out and briefly spoke about the benefits and opportunities the department has to offer. Although we were all there to make ourselves available to all participants, regardless of gender, race, or sexual identity, Sergeant Rodney would zone in on specific female participants, those women who were well endowed or otherwise what he referred to as (thick) and who were feminine. If Sergeant Rodney liked the way a woman looked, he would follow her along as she waited in line to become more acquainted with her. He did this to several waiting women, as he stared at them with a naughty smile as if he were undressing them. Those, whom Sergeant Rodney was particularly smitten with, received a star by their name, One particular woman's appearance prompted him to skim the contact list to see if he could determine where her name was written, he then eventually inputted a name and number on the contact list in his cell phone. When he was not doing this, he disappeared to watch a soccer game, which gave me a brief reprieve from his gross conduct.