ABUSE GOES ON
After ’12 case, city jails big claims new harass
A LONGTIME Department of Correction official — who sued the city in 2012 after a boss allegedly masturbated in front of her — was sexually harassed by two more colleagues after being moved to a different office, a new lawsuit charges.
Assistant Deputy Warden Sonya Harvey first filed suit against the city in July 2012, claiming that her one-time boss at Correction headquarters harassed her over a fiveyear period.
Harvey had alleged this boss lured her “into a filing room to search for a folder while (he) exposed his erect penis, masturbated and ejaculated in Harvey’s direction.”
She also charged that he “frequently” repositioned his genitals in front of her, and licked his lips while commenting on her breasts.
After Harvey’s first case was settled in January 2016, she was permanently assigned to Rikers.
At the end of that month, Harvey was eating a candy bar when then-Correction Capt. Timothy Cowen said, “You like nuts in your mouth? How would you like my nuts in your mouth?” her new suit, filed Tuesday in Manhattan Supreme Court, alleges.
“The DOC has the good old boy club — many of the males can use their positions to get away with anything,” Harvey said. “I’m very angry that individuals can come to work and expose themselves and touch people inappropriately.”
Harvey later learned Cowen allegedly assaulted a female jailer and reported the accusation, she claims.
An hour after reporting the allegation, Cowen “made a threatening remark to Harvey about Harvey’s daughter, who was employed by the DOC, asking whether or not Harvey’s daughter was still on probation and when Harvey responded ‘Yes, why?’ Cowen stated ‘Because I would not want her to get fired,’ ” she claims.
When Harvey later met with a prosecutor at the Bronx district attorney’s Office, a Correction Department investigator was present — where she was questioned about her first lawsuit.
Other female correction officers who complained about Cowen were also asked if they knew about Harvey’s prior lawsuit, according to the civil complaint.
Cowen was collared in September 2016 and arraigned on charges of forcible touching, sex abuse in the third degree and second-degree harassment, a violation.
He copped in May 2017 to second-degree harassment and received a conditional discharge.
In spring 2017, Deputy Warden Robert Kelly “came up behind Harvey and pressed his erect penis into her backside,” she also alleges.
“Harvey pulled herself away from him and demanded that he never touch her again,” she claims. “Kelly smirked, said ‘don’t be like that’ and then walked away.”
In August of that year, a female correction officer told Harvey that she, too, had been accosted by Kelly.
Harvey reported the disclosure and became the subject of suspicion and derision in the office — with colleagues calling her a “snitch” and “gold digger,” according to the suit, filed by lawyer Davida Perry.
The men accused of wrongdoing could not immediately be reached.
The city Law Department did not immediately comment.