$190G for white cop mocked over Black beau
The city will be forking over $190,000 to settle a federal lawsuit against a Black NYPD lieutenant accused of mocking a white officer’s interracial relationship and calling her a “Kardashian chick,” the Daily
News has learned.
The city and an attorney for accuser Officer Vanessa Weinbel reached the settlement this week, about two years after the lawsuit was filed in Brooklyn Federal Court.
The $15 million lawsuit claimed Lt. Rasheena Huffman was relentless in poking fun at Weinbel’s relationship and often made insensitive remarks about the 33-year-old cop’s body — particularly her posterior. The two women worked together in Police Service Area 9, which covers public housing in Flushing, Queens, and nearby neighborhoods.
Weinbel, who is white, is dating a Black man, according to the lawsuit. Her boyfriend isn’t a member of the NYPD.
When Huffman began making fun of her relationship, Weinbel couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “I was sick and humiliated,” Weinbel, 33, exclusively told the Daily News when she filed her claim. “I was shocked that someone could think of these kind of things.” “I don’t really look at anything as color,” she added. “To hear that coming out of anyone’s mouth was disgusting.”
Huffman learned about the relationship in July 2016 as the two talked about a party being held by the NYPD Guardians Association, a fraternal group for African-American police officers. As they discussed the event, Huffman made “racially and sexually offensive” comments toward Weinbel and claimed that Black men liked Weinbel because she looked like a “Kardashian chick.”
When Weinbel said she was dating a Black man, Huffman balked at the idea. “He probably isn’t even Black,” she said, according to the suit.
Huffman is also accused of telling Weinbel that Black men date white women because “they’re submissive” and “because they’ll remain loyal even if beaten,” the lawsuit claims.
Probably the most offensive alleged comments came when Huffman and Weinbel were returning from a funeral and Huffman began talking about how races “should stick with their own because [their] kids won’t come out right,” according to the suit.
Huffman allegedly told Weinbel that if she and her boyfriend had a child it would come out “messed up because they won’t know who they are or where they came from.” She also is accused of saying “the government will have to create a new box on the United States census form labeled ‘confused’ because her child can’t mark black or white.” the notice of claim states.
She even said Weinbel “wouldn’t be able to comb her own daughter’s hair,” the complaint alleged.
Weinbel’s attorney Eric Sanders said his client is “satisfied the matter is resolved.”
A spokesman for the city Law Department said settling the case “was in the city’s best interest.”