NJ trooper accuses fellow trooper of rape
Last Updated: 6:27 PM, December 4, 2009
Posted: 1:25 PM, December 4, 2009
TRENTON, N.J. — A New Jersey state trooper has accused a superior officer of raping and impregnating her and says she was subject to other sexual harassment and retaliation for reporting it during her four years with the agency.
In a lawsuit filed Tuesday in federal court in Camden, Alexis Hayes, 29, says the State Police failed to take action against “repeated acts of sexual misconduct” by her superiors dating back to 2005, when she was a police academy recruit.
Hayes, who agreed to be identified by The Associated Press, has been on paid sick leave since August due to a “complete emotional breakdown,” said her attorney, William Buckman.
In her lawsuit, Hayes claims she was raped in April while on assignment near Pittsburgh as part of a 49-member State Police detail sent to honor three city police officers killed in a shootout.
According to Hayes, her boss, Lt. Thomas King, 50, got her drunk, waited for her to pass out then somehow obtained a copy of her hotel room key and assaulted her in her room.
Her attorney said Hayes, who is married, became pregnant as a result and knew the baby was King’s because she only had protected sex with her husband. She later had an abortion.
The State Police declined to comment specifically on the case, citing their policy of not discussing ongoing internal investigations. However, they did acknowledge that they were looking into the accusations and that King and Hayes are both on paid administrative leave.
“The New Jersey State Police treats any allegation of misconduct very seriously. As with all allegations of misconduct, these allegations will be vigorously and thoroughly investigated,” said Capt. Gerald Lewis, a State Police spokesman.
King was placed leave Nov. 7.
State Police declined to make anyone named in the lawsuit available for comment or say whether King had an attorney.
A message left with a man who answered the phone at King’s house was not returned.
Buckman said Hayes did not initially report the alleged rape to authorities because she had a breakdown but that when a lieutenant colonel found out about it, he told her “that she had to bear up with the imperfect conditions of the New Jersey State Police and go about her duties.”
“Her father was so outraged that he filed a complaint with the New Jersey State Police, who did nothing about it,” Buckman said. “We then passed it on to the Pittsburgh authorities.”
Allegheny County Police spokesman Lt. Jeffrey Korczyk confirmed that there was an open investigation into Hayes’ allegations but declined to elaborate.
Buckman said neither Pennsylvania police nor New Jersey state police have interviewed Hayes about the rape allegation. He said she has not been available to talk about it due to her fragile emotional state and on the advice of her psychiatrist.
In her lawsuit, Hayes claims that the alleged sexual assault was not the first time she was harassed while working for the State Police.
She claims she also was sexually harassed by a female State Police academy instructor and was subjected to a hostile work environment after complaining about it.
The suit contends that at the academy, Sgt. Christine Shalcross once grabbed Hayes’s necktie so hard that the clasp broke off. She said Shalcross also demeaned her by calling her “peanut” and drawing on her face with a black permanent marker. After graduation, Hayes said Shalcross, 43, whispered in Hayes’ ear and kissed her on the cheek.
Shalcross, a 14-year veteran, was later assigned to the Internal Affairs Bureau.
“They seem to take people with problems and park them in Internal Affairs,” Buckman said.
A woman who answered the phone at Shalcross’s home said she wouldn’t be commenting on the case.
The lawsuit requests a jury trial and that an independent monitor be appointed to oversee the State Police’s internal affairs unit.
In the In the meantime, Buckman said Hayes has been left in the dark about the status of her case.
“They have given no clues as to what is being done to protect her or give her normal victim’s status,” he said.
4 comments:
Again , i have read tons of stories regarding complaints against discrimination , allegation of misconduct within the NJSP. However , i am confident that she will have her day in court , but Hayes and her attorney need to pressure whoever is the Head of the Internal Investigation Unit. Otherwise ,the investigation might get swept under the rug or unsubstantiated .
Caveat: i would suggest that she publicizes the complaint on a larger scale for news organizations in America have a powerful influence .In other words, the media can propel the NJSP into action, should they want to protect their image .
LJ 6631
Darnell I'm just patiently awaiting the outcome of this case. With all the evidence in the case, I am still unsure as to whether or not justice will be served. But, I feel as though the State police should have shown more concern to the Hayes accusations. Now I am starting to question whether or not the State police are trying to cover themselves. Because now I wonder why no actions has taken place in this case.
I think in this cases nj troopers are trying to cover themselves!cause first off they shouldve shown more concern and eagerness to get her more help with the situation...sbd 3013
Once again tons of articles just like this have been written. Police helping police to get out of sentencing. I say go to court, with enough evidence provided then give her boss a mandatory sentence.
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