THE MONTHLY GLEANER | FEBRUARY 13 - MARCH 15, 2025 | www.jamaica-gleaner.com | NEWS 2 Lester Hinds/Gleaner Writer NEW YORK: ASSISTANT CHIEF Ruel Stephenson, the highest-ranking Jamaican officer in the New York Police Department (NYPD), is facing allegations of sexual harassment and retaliation from a female subordinate in a lawsuit filed last Friday in Manhattan Supreme Court. Lt Mariela Matos-Leo, who works at the 24th Precinct, which is located in the same building as Manhattan North, has filed the lawsuit against Stephenson and the NYPD. Mariela Matos-Leo alleged that Stephenson sexually harassed her in 2022 and then tried to derail her career after she rebuffed his advances. In a May 2023 meeting, Stephenson reportedly told Matos-Leo that if he had the power, he would fire her because her “work is mediocre”, the lawsuit said. “It got to the point where people recognised me,” she said. “Everyone knew he would take any chance to drag me through the mud.” After that, Matos-Leo began putting in for transfers to various other units. Matos-Leo claims Stephenson’s alleged retaliation caused her to make less than male lieutenants and cost her as much as US$1.7 million in lost pension benefits, the lawsuit alleges. She further claims that in December 2023 at Glen Island Harbour Club in New Rochelle, Stephenson held a “best dressed” contest at a Christmas party, offering a US$700 prize and targeting female subordinates. “There was no prize for best dressed man,” said Matos-Leo of the holiday party contest. The lawsuit states that Stephenson, who commands Manhattan North and was one of the judges of the contest, attempted multiple times before the event to persuade Matos-Leo to attend. She chose to skip the event, citing that Stephenson’s persistent invitations made her feel as though he had “his sights on making her the conquest” of the event, she said in court papers. Matos-Leo alleges that after she didn’t attend, Stephenson’s behaviour towards her changed dramatically. She claims he belittled her at meetings, calling her incompetent in front of colleagues. According to the lawsuit, one sergeant allegedly told Matos-Leo, this is “how the Chief gets when he is rejected”. CRIMINAL COMPLAINT This lawsuit is not Matos-Leo’s first. In 2019, the 19-year veteran of the department claimed retaliation by other employees after filing a criminal complaint against her boyfriend, a fellow officer. That case was later settled. In her current lawsuit, Matos-Leo is seeking unspecified damages. The city’s Law Department has stated they will review the litigation once it is served. An NYPD spokesperson emphasised that the department does not tolerate sexual harassment and is committed to maintaining a respectful work environment. The department also offers various reporting options for employees, including anonymous submissions, the spokesperson added. Stephenson, the first Jamaican in NYPD history to be appointed as borough commander, has made significant contributions throughout his career. Born in Clarendon, he attended Race Course Primary before migrating to the US at age 10. He joined the NYPD in June 1995, starting as a patrol officer in the 70th Precinct. Over the years, he served in numerous precincts and bureaus, earning promotions from sergeant to assistant chief. Speaking with The Gleaner when he was made assistant chief, Stephenson said the appointment would put him in a position to affect how the NYPD interacts with the Jamaican community as there would now be someone in a position of authority who is sensitive to the cultural norms of the community and speaks its language. “My hard work and perseverance paid off. I am now in a position to effect change coming out of the police policies that affect our community in a fair and impartial way,” he said at the time. He said that members of the community are more at ease with the police when they have someone relatable to the community in charge. editorial@gleanerjm.com Lawsuit accuses J’can NYPD chief of sexual harassment, retaliation Assistant Chief NYPD – Ruel Stephenson. CONTRIBUTED TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL’S confirmation that Jamaica remains stuck in the bottom half of the Corruption Perception Index (CPI), among the countries deemed to have a serious problem of governance and the management of state resources, ought to be a signal to the Government of the need for an urgent reset of its relations with the island’s anti-corruption agencies. Prime Minister Andrew Holness should start by seriously enforcing, and observing, his edict of two years ago against his legislators and party officials denigrating the Integrity Commission (IC); ensure an end to the dog whistles against the auditor general; and tell his members of parliament (MPs) to end their bid to neuter the IC to make it less transparent. Mr Holness should also signal that he would have no objection – although it is not his call – if the governor general, Sir Patrick Allen, chose to reappoint the IC’s chairman, Justice Seymour Panton, and Eric Crawford when their terms end later this month. Although, either way, the die on that matter has already been cast. Most people would be surprised, given the assault the IC has endured, if Justice Panton, a retired president of the Court of Appeal, and Mr Crawford, a former auditor, accepted an invitation to stay on, which is in Sir Patrick’s sole discretion. This newspaper hopes they would. If they are indeed moving on, we expect Sir Patrick to choose successors of equal integrity and strength, who are willing to speak truth to power and to transparently fulfil their obligations of their office, in accordance with the law. Transparency International is a global anti-corruption, good governance and transparency NGO, whose annual CPI has become an important benchmark of how countries are performing on the corruption front. CPI SCORES Using a matrix that covers issues such as financial disclosure rules for public officials, the prevalence of bribery, diversion of state funds, public-sector nepotism and the management of conflicts of interest, the CPI scores countries from zero to 100, where zero is very corrupt and 100 indicates an absence of public corruption. A score of below 50 says that a country has a serious corruption problem – or the perception thereof. In the index for 2024, published this week, Jamaica ranked 73rd of 180 countries, down four places from a year early. But more significant is the fact that the score of 44 which Jamaica recorded has been the same since 2017, the year it improved five points. Among its peers in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Jamaica ranked behind Barbados (23rd, with a score of 68); The Bahamas (28th, with a score of 65); St Vincent (32nd, with a score of 63); Dominica (36th, with a score of 60); St Lucia (38th, with a score of 59); and Grenada (46th, with a score of 56). These rankings are important. While they are far from the sole basis on which foreigners make investments in countries, the credibility of the CPI causes it to be among the instruments relied upon when making such decisions. In other words, a good CPI adds to a country’s comparative advantage. More importantly, it helps to enhance citizens’ trust in leaders and public officials, which strengthens social cohesion. This perception of Jamaica is not new. However, it is deeply troubling that the island’s CPI score has been static over the seven years since its big jump, which coincided with Parliament’s approval of legislation to establish the Integrity Commission. It would be ironic if the Government’s attitude to, and fights with, the IC contributed to the lack of upward movement in the island’s CPI score. Anyone who has been the subject of adverse findings or conclusions by the IC has an absolute right to disagree with it, as loudly as they wish, as well as to challenge those findings/conclusions in court, as provided in law. It is another matter, however, for public officials to mount a sustained effort to weaken, to the point of dismantling, the commission. Which is the sense which many people have of what government members of Parliament have attempted since the IC’s clumsy handling, in early 2023, of a report of an investigation into whether Mr Holness influenced the award of contracts when he was education minister years earlier. RESET ON CORRUPTION EDITORIAL Will Mr. Damian Baker of a St. Elizabeth, Jamaica address or anyone knowing his whereabouts, kindly contact the Child Protection & Family Services Agency, 10 Hanover Street, Spanish Town, St. Catherine, Jamaica at 876-301-4983. N O T I C E
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