NYPD chief offered $700 for ‘best dressed’ female underling — then retaliated against cop who refused to participate: suit
An NYPD chief held a “best dressed” contest for female subordinates at a precinct holiday party – and then retaliated against an officer who refused to participate, according to a lawsuit.
Manhattan North Commander Ruel Stephenson allegedly offered a $700 prize to “the best dressed woman” at the precinct’s Dec. 13, 2023 Christmas party at the Glen Island Harbor Club in New Rochelle, according to the Manhattan Supreme Court filing.
Lt. Mariela Matos-Leo, who works at the 24th Precinct, which shares a building with Manhattan North, skipped the shindig because Stephenson had allegedly been begging her for weeks to attend, making her feel like he had “his sights on making her the conquest” of the event, she said in court papers.
The suit filed Friday alleges that Ruel Stephenson, the commanding officer of Patrol Borough Manhattan North, sexually harassed and retaliated against a female lieutenant.
Stephenson acted “noticeably different” to Matos-Leo, 40, after she failed to show, berating her at meetings in front of colleagues and calling her incompetent, according to the legal filing against the city.
This is “how the Chief gets when he is rejected,” one sergeant allegedly told Matos-Leo.
Lieutenant Mariela Matos-Leo skipped out on the 2023 Christmas party because she was afraid Stephenson would sexually harass her further at the event, according to court documents. 50-a
“Women in the NYPD should be judged solely on their job performance, not on their willingness to participate in a culture that pressures them to dress provocatively at department events,” Matos-Leo’s lawyer, John Scola, told The Post.
“No officer should be subjected to sexual harassment or forced to choose between their dignity and their career advancement,” Scola added.
It’s not the first lawsuit filed by Matos-Leo, a 19-year veteran of the department, who previously claimed she was retaliated against by other department employees in 2019 after she filed a criminal complaint against her boyfriend, who was also a cop, according to court records. The case was later settled.
Matos-Leo claims in the lawsuit that she lost out on as much as $1.7 million in pension benefits as a result of Stephenson’s retaliation. Obtained by the NY Post
She’s currently seeking unspecified damages. Stephenson could not be reached for comment.
The Law Department said the city would review the litigation when it was served.
An NYPD spokesperson said the department “does not tolerate sexual harassment and is committed to respectful work environments for our diverse workforce. The NYPD thoroughly investigates all complaints it receives, and offers several reporting options for NYPD employees, including anonymously.”
