Police Allowed 911 Dispatcher To Sexually Abuse Female Colleagues For Years, Claims Lawsuit

A bombshell lawsuit that was filed last week against a former 911 supervisor and the Town of Tonawanda Police Department has revealed that the department allowed the accused to sexually harass dispatchers for nearly two decades.

Two of Brett A. Rider's alleged victims filed their lawsuit in New York Supreme Court. According to Law & Crime, the two former dispatchers said that they faced sex discrimination, sexual harassment and hostile work environment.

The victims claimed that much of the misconduct took place in front of colleagues, who did not try to stop it. When they complained to supervisors, they reportedly did not take any action. The lawsuit stated, "Every single employee and supervisor knew of defendant Rider's behavior, witnessed it and did nothing to stop it."

Apart from Rider's leadership position within the union, his family members also held powerful positions within town government. Hence, the women said that he was free to carry out a "reign of terror" for almost two decades.

One of the women, who filed the lawsuit, said, "Brett Rider is a monster. And he was created by the Town of Tonawanda Police Department."

The other alleged victim said that soon after she was hired as a dispatcher in 1990, the "repeated harassment" started. The accused is said to have often referred to the woman's breasts and other parts of her body. He also shared pornographic photos, crudely spoke about oral sex and intercourse, and tried to get her to touch his penis, revealed the lawsuit.

There were rare times when he was called out on the harassment, but Rider reportedly claimed that he was kidding around, reported The Buffalo News.

Rider also allegedly gave sexual commentary on one the woman and her teenage daughter. The woman said that she put up with so much out of fear for his position of authority. According to the lawsuit, between 2009 and 2018, Rider went on to sexually assault or tried to rape her many times. He apparently followed her around, kept tabs on her and the people she met when she was not working. That time period was "absolutely terrible" for the woman.

Rider also used racial slurs and mocked people with disabilities, as per the lawsuit. Legal representatives for the police department and Rider are yet to respond to the claims. Meanwhile, Rider, who was fired in 2020, is awaiting trial on several felony sex crimes. According to his attorney, he has denied the criminal charges.