The NYPD office that investigates sexual harassment and discrimination complaints will now report directly to Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch — an internal restructuring that comes after the department was rocked by a sex-for-OT misconduct scandal involving former Chief Jeffrey Maddrey, the Daily News has learned.
Meanwhile, the politically-connected deputy commissioner overseeing the office has quietly left the NYPD and moved to a new job with the same title at the Correction Department, records show.
The restructuring of the department’s Equal Employment office comes in the wake of the scandal that led to the December resignation of Maddrey, the NYPD’s former chief of department, following a complaint filed by now-retired Lt. Quathisha Epps.
“The NYPD office of Equal Employment has long been plagued by favoritism and manipulation, shielding those in power rather than holding them accountable,” said John Scola, an attorney who often represents police clients with discrimination claims. “We hope Commissioner Tisch’s direct oversight will cut through the dysfunction and finally address the unchecking discrimination and retaliation within the department.”
Epps, formerly an administrative lieutenant in Maddrey’s office, alleged the chief coerced her into sex in the office on multiple occasions in exchange for overtime pay. Epps earned more than $200,000 in overtime in fiscal 2024. Her complaint is pending. Maddrey claims the sexual relationship with Epps was consensual.
Wendy Garcia, the former NYPD deputy commissioner of equity and inclusion overseeing the equal employment office during the period covered by the Maddrey scandal, quietly took a new job with DOC last month, but the move wasn’t posted until this month. As of Thursday, Garcia was still listed as serving in the NYPD post even as she was also pictured on DOC’s website with the same photograph.
Prior to this week, the Office of Equity and Inclusion, run by Garcia, oversaw the Equal Employment Opportunity Division, which investigates complaints. Under the restructuring, the investigative arm has been removed from OEI and placed under the direct supervision of the police commissioner, an NYPD order reviewed by The News states.
The previous structure was “deemed obsolete and revoked,” the order states.
A police official denied the restructuring was related to the Maddrey scandal.
Garcia is the former partner of Carlos Rodriguez, a brother of city Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez, who has been a staunch supporter of Mayor Adams. Rodriguez, the DOT commissioner, declined to comment. Garcia was also an intern for Rep. Adriano Espaillat, another staunch Adams supporter.
The Equal Employment Office has long been criticized as ineffective, and weathered a major scandal in 2021 when its commander, James Kobel, was forced to retire after a probe found he was posting racist comments under a pseudonym in NYPD chat rooms.
Epps recently filed a complaint with the NYPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau after nude videos of her were circulated in text messages around the department.