A supervisor’s sexual advances drove a New York police officer to take his own life, according to a lawsuit filed by the officer’s widow. The lawsuit names the City of New York, the New York City Police Department (NYPD), and the supervisor as defendants, and alleges that an ongoing pattern of sexual harassment violated the officer’s civil rights.
Officer Matthew Schindler arrived at the 115th Precinct in Queens in March 2011, according to DNAinfo New York. He was assigned as a highway safety officer and reported to Sergeant Christine Hirtzel, also spelled in court documents and some media reports as “Hertzel.” Hirtzel reportedly had direct control over Schindler’s work schedule and duty assignments. She demanded that Schindler engage in sexual relations with her, according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit claims that Hirtzel made preferable shift assignments and other features of employment contingent on continued sexual contact, and that she threatened that Schindler “would suffer tangible detriment” if he refused her demands.
The continued demands allegedly caused Schindler to become depressed. On February 13, 2012, Schindler confronted Hirtzel, according to the complaint, to tell her to stop. He told her at that time that “he would kill himself over the ‘guilt,'” according to the New York Post. She allegedly refused to end the relationship, and she allowed Schindler to leave the station. Hirtzel then contacted a precinct captain, who reportedly tried to call Schindler to “rectify his hostile work environment,” and out of concern that he was suicidal. At around 4:30 p.m., Schindler committed suicide with his service weapon.
DNAinfo reported that Hirtzel told NYPD investigators that the affair was consensual. She claimed that he became distraught on February 13 after she tried to break off the relationship. He “stormed off,” she alleged, and then she contacted the precinct captain to admit the affair. The captain then called Schindler, according to Hirtzel’s report.
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