PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- The commandant of the state police academy sexually harassed three women training to become state troopers and top law enforcement officials attempted to cover up the incidents, according to a federal lawsuit.
The Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge 25, and five state troopers, including Detective Linda Bailey, Rhode Island's first woman trooper, filed the suit Monday in U.S. District Court.
According to court documents, Lt. Walter Reynolds, commandant of the state police academy, touched and grabbed women trainees during inspections and forced them to participate in physical training when injured.
'When he inspected my appearance, I could literally feel him breathing on my neck,' Trooper Mary Nunes said in her affidavit.
'On a number of occasions ... he would grab one of us by our belt and would pull us roughly toward him, insisting that the buckle needed polish,' she said. 'On several occasions, he made adjustments to our uniforms himself, necessarily touching parts of our bodies in the process.'
Injured men were excused from physical training and were never touched during inspections, according to the suit.
The alleged acts occurred during training sessions last October.
Judge Bruce Seyla scheduled a hearing today on the sex discrimination and harassment allegations.
The union wants Selya to appoint a special master to oversee the activities of the state police and delay any future training classes until the discrimination problems are eliminated. The union also seeks prevention of the destruction of any records pertaining to the suit and an unspecified amount of damages.
The suit, which contained nearly 30 pages of affidavits, lists dozens of incidents of alleged harassment and discrimination.
The suit alleges that while the women where at classes, Reynolds went through their living quarters, destroying personal objects and scattering tampons around the women's lockers.
'In one case, defendant Reynolds tore open the wrapper of a tampon which had been in plaintiff Nunes' purse, removed it partially from its applicator and placed it on plantiff Nunes' pillow,' according to the suit. 'He removed and handled underwear from the lockers of the women ... and extracted worn undergarments, including bras and panties, from the laundry bags of the women, folded them carefully and arranged them ritualistically on the beds of the women.'
Nunes reported the incident to Bailey, who was an instructor in the academy.
'I told her that I was disgusted that a 'pervert' had been playing with my tampons. I told Detective Bailey that I was afraid of Reynolds, not because of his physical strength, but because I could not be certain as to what he might do next.'
The suit also alleges woman trainees secretly met with Attorney General Arlene Violet, who ignored their pleas for help. Violet and the troopers also discussed ousting Col. Walter Stone, superintendent of the state police.
'Despite the number of incidents we complained of, the attorney general told us that we didn't have enough 'ammunition' to 'take out the colonel.' Nunes, one of the plantiffs, said in an affidavit filed as part of the suit.
'In state police terms, you can't go after the colonel with a .22 - you need a .44 to take out the colonel,' Nunes quotes Violet as saying.
Violet denied she made such a statement. A spokesperson for the attorney general said the women asked Violet not to act on the matter until after they had graduated from the academy.
