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Lawsuit: Ex-Cop Raped Employee In Bronx "Torture Chamber"
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Apr 17, 2014
Modified Apr 17, 2014
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By
Christopher Robbins
Published Apr 17, 2014
Modified Apr 17, 2014
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A former hospital employee is suing her ex-boss in federal court, alleging that he created a "veritable 'torture chamber'" in which he repeatedly raped and assaulted her.
According to the lawsuit, the victim was hired by the Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center as a social worker to care for AIDS patients at the Highbridge Woodycrest Center in the summer of 2012. During her interview, the defendant, 53-year-old retired NYPD officer Michael Reingold, allegedly told her about his martial problems and added, "You look much better in person than on your Linked In page," and told colleagues how she "looked like his daughter from behind," adding, "No one is going to mess with my blondie."
Reingold allegedly insisted that she visit him several times a day, and would lead her to a dark office far removed from the rest of the staff, lock the door behind them, and rape her without a condom. "Plaintiff's distress was accentuated by the fact that she had already been sexually assaulted as a young girl by six youths on the subway," the complaint reads. Within a few months of her getting the job, the victim claims she was living in "a constant state of fear," crying and vomiting at work, and unable to go to the police because Reingold told her he was a former officer.
When the victim finally resigned the following year, the HR director allegedly told her, "You have to go or he will hurt you." Reingold was eventually fired because of an EEOC complaint the victim filed against her.
The victim's attorney, Derek Smith, told the Post he is pursuing a civil suit because the actions alleged happened in locked offices, and would be difficult to prove in criminal court. Reinhold declined to comment on the suit to the Post, but admitted he had heard about the EEOC complaint that led to his firing.
Tagged
bronx
Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center
lawsuit
sexual assault
Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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