*Three female police officers have filed a federal lawsuit against the New York Police Department claiming they were referred to as “nappy headed hos” by other officers at their Brooklyn precinct.
A lawyer for the accusers refers to the incident as part of the “Imus virus” after shock jock Don Imus was fired this month for using those words to describe the Rutgers women's basketball team.
According to Newsday, Sgt. Carlos Mateo of the 70th Precinct was transferred and stripped of his supervisory duties for allegedly saying “Stand up, hos" to officers Tronnette Jackson, Maria Gomez and Karen Nelson during an April 15th roll call.
At that point, Officer Ralph Montanez spoke up, said Bonita Zelman, a lawyer for the three female officers.
"They're not just hos," Montanez said, according to Zelman. "They're nappy-headed hos."
.jpg)
Tronnette Jackson, Maria Gomez & Karen Nelson
Mateo and Montanez, who has also been transferred, are Hispanic, as is Gomez, while Jackson and Nelson are black.
Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said the use of such language is "unacceptable under any circumstance, and even more egregious when it comes from individuals in positions of authority."
"We felt violated, hurt and humiliated," said Jackson. "We filed our complaint ... so other minority officers are not violated like we are."
In a separate incident on April 12, Det. Aretha Williams of Queens Narcotics said Sgt. Michael Cantatore directed the infamous Imus quote at her as she was finishing her shift.
"Don't give me no lip before I call you a nappy-headed ho," Cantatore said, according to Williams, who is black and a 15-year veteran. Cantatore, who is white, is in the process of retiring.
8th Annual Hollywood Black Film Festival
6 Days of Film Screenings (118+ films),
Panels, Workshops, Parties & Star-Studded Events.
June 5-10, 2007 in Beverly Hills, California
www.hbff.org for all the details