Allegations of sexual harassment of fellow employees against Norman Seabrook, President of the Correction Officers’ Benevolent Association (COBA), continue to mount.  As shown in my last column, it is a known documented fact that complaints filed against Seabrook have fallen on deaf ears.  New complaints continue to be brought to the Black Star News.  These stories will appear in further articles. 

Correction Officer Colletté Unique Jacqués-Scott’s ordeal was highlighted in the last report (see below). Since then the telephones at the Black Star News’ Headquarters have been ringing off the hook. As readers recall, when Scott approached Seabrook for help in a bogus case against her by the Correction Department, instead he started commending her looks and proceeded to forcibly plunge his tongue into her mouth while in his office. It was May 15, 1996, the day Officer Scott was due to answer the DOC charges against her.

As with previous reports, Seabrook did not return my call seeking comment. This isn’t the first time Seabrook faced such charges. Previously, my column dealt with the case of a civilian employee at the Correction Department, Sharon Tonge, who worked in the COBA office. She sued Seabrook for sexually harassing her—He visited her home without invitation and requested for sex in the most vulgar manner, court records state. Tonge’s case was settled in Federal Court for an undisclosed amount of COBA’s membership money.  As COBA union members see their contract, benefits and bylaws dwindle – they are becoming more concerned.

I have been unable to reach Correction Officer Theresa Braxton, who was COBA’s third vice-president when she filed a sexual harassment complaint against Seabrook.  However, it is unclear if she remained on COBA’s payroll after being booted out of the COBA office by Seabrook.

The so-called “Love triangle,” between Seabrook and Braxton led to the termination of a male correction officer after a DOC trial held at the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings (OATH). This was a young man who did not have the support of a union and there are serious due process issues, which need to be looked at.  In short – he should not have been terminated. At least note alone.

Seabrook is a correction officer who was elected to COBA’s top position.  He’s supposed to be held to the same standards as any other civil servant.  There’s clearly different treatment when his name is mentioned to some politicians and government offices.

The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) appeared to have sat on Officer Scott’s sexual assault complaint for seven years.  I spoke with CHR Assistant Commissioner Avery S. Mehlman, who stated “a full and thorough investigation,” was being given to Scott’s case.  This was not true.

“The CHR investigator never called me back or told me anything about what was going on with my sexual assault complaint.  When I filed a complaint with the department’s Equal Employment Opportunity Office (EEOO) they would not help me, because Seabrook was a union president,” stated Scott.

Too many times sexual harassment complaints are pushed under the rug and labeled “Unfounded” by the DOC’s EEOO, I’m told.  “It’s a good ole boys club type atmosphere in the Department of Correction; it’s no surprise what goes on, it’s sad.  I read the Scott story.  It’s a damn shame it has taken so long; where’s the justice?” stated an 18-year veteran female correction officer assigned to Rikers Island who did not want her name to be used.

When the CHR learned Officer Scott received a ‘Right to Sue,’ letter from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), they quickly stopped their “alleged” investigation and refused to give her their findings.

The same day Mr. Mehlman spoke with me, Officer Scott had received the CHR letter saying they would no longer investigate her complaint because she had now received the right to sue letter from EEOC.

This is a travesty. When complaints are made to agencies, i.e., EEOC and CHR, and probable cause is left out of the equation, which is problematic for the people making the complaint – and time is wasted in a non-productive investigation. What happened to Officer Scott is a crime.  “We don’t investigate crimes and it’s the law that we not further investigate a case where the complainant has received a right to sue,” stated Mr. Mehlman.  However, CHR made no attempts to inform Officer Scott of this dilemma, which caused the criminal statute in her case to run out. After seven years of “investigating” there is nothing to show for it.

“It’s like living in a house with domestic violence.  I have a little sister living in that house; I can’t just walk out and leave her unprotected.  My friends keep telling me to just leave the job and fight from the outside.  They just don’t understand that once you’re retired, legal paperwork begins to somehow get lost,” stated Officer Scott.

Officer Scott can retire from the DOC any day now if she wanted. “I can’t leave because there are other women correction officers who are not as strong as myself and can’t deal with the pressure.  I was sexually assaulted and have to live with that until this day,” stated Officer Scott.

There have been questionable set of events surrounding the sexual complaints filed against Seabrook.  Many of these victims are saying Seabrook is a known “Sexual predator,” who hides behind his powerful political connections.

A spokesperson for the city’s Department of Investigation (DOI) stated they were not made aware of Seabrook’s sexual conduct or the sexual harassment complaints filed against him.  Last week I made a visit to OATH and there were some officers waiting for a disciplinary hearing.  The DOC manages to send their members to OATH on their day off.  Why isn’t COBA making any statements about that practice?

These articles have put a fire under COBA’s rear end.  Now, the COBA law firm, Koehler & Isaacs, is trying to represent its members. The heartless DOC fired Probationary Correction Officer Gina Reynolds while she was a victim of domestic violence.  She was reinstated with back pay. However, there are hundreds of COBA members like Officer Reynolds who were victimized by the DOC’s Health Management Division (HMD) draconian policies and never got help—these cases should all be revisited. I will continue to bring stories from the scandalous Department of Correction.

ld’s column appears every week in The Black Star News. Contact him for consideration regarding covering your story. Employees with any City or State agency are encouraged to contact him. Send comments to: Blackstarnews2@aol.com cell – 917-248-1790. Write to: ON THE SPOT, c/o Post Office Box 230149, Queens County, 11423. We can protect whistleblowers by honoring their privacy with confidentiality.