Yesterday, during a hastily arranged press conference, former NYPD Chief of Department Jeffrey B. Maddrey, through his attorney, admitted to having a “consensual” sexual relationship with my client, Lieutenant Quathisha Epps. This shocking admission comes on the heels of Maddrey’s prior denials of all allegations and his abrupt resignation on December 20, 2024, as his sex-for-overtime scandal unraveled. While his legal team attempts to frame this as a consensual relationship, the facts and evidence tell a far more troubling story of abuse of power, manipulation, and predatory behavior within the NYPD.

Let me be unequivocally clear: there can be no “consent” in a workplace where one individual wields immense power over another’s livelihood. As Lieutenant Epps’s direct supervisor, Maddrey leveraged his position as the highest-ranking uniformed officer in the NYPD to prey upon her financial and emotional vulnerabilities. He demanded sexual favors, money—referred to as “envelopes”—and even gifts, including one that was delivered to his spouse at their home. These demands were not the actions of a man engaging in a consensual relationship; they were acts of coercion and quid pro quo sexual harassment.

Maddrey’s use of his authority to exploit vulnerable female officers—enabled by systemic failures within the NYPD for more than thirty years, now under Police Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch and Mayor Eric L. Adams—is abhorrent. The notion that Maddrey, a man with full access to the NYPD’s employee profile database and other internal tools, did not target and manipulate subordinates is simply implausible. This behavior is not just unethical; it is a flagrant violation of Supreme Court precedents on quid pro quo sexual harassment under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and other anti-discrimination laws.

Equally disingenuous is the claim that Maddrey was unaware of Lieutenant Epps’s overtime earnings or had no involvement in the overtime process. Maddrey and his legal team’s suggestion that he “never approves, gives, or signs overtime” is a red herring designed to mislead the public. The NYPD has strict protocols for reviewing, flagging, and approving overtime submissions, both pre-and post-payment. As the highest-ranking uniformed officer, Maddrey was well aware of these systems and, as evidence shows, used his position to manipulate them to his advantage. To suggest otherwise insults the public’s intelligence and undermines the integrity of the NYPD’s internal controls.

Furthermore, Maddrey’s lawyer’s attempts to malign Lieutenant Epps by focusing on her personal life and making baseless claims about her character are reprehensible. These tactics are nothing more than an effort to distract from the indisputable facts: Maddrey exploited his power to demand sexual favors, money, and gifts, and when Lieutenant Epps began to assert her independence, he retaliated by weaponizing the department’s Internal Affairs Bureau to smear her reputation.

Let us also address the personal attacks against me and my law firm. To insinuate that I somehow concocted these allegations or had prior knowledge of them before accepting Lieutenant Epps’s representation is both defamatory and unethical. I represent my client in good faith based on the overwhelming evidence of misconduct committed by Maddrey. To Maddrey’s legal team, I remind you and Maddrey, as a newly admitted member of the bar, of your ethical obligations as officers of the court. Should you continue to engage in baseless accusations and dilatory tactics, I will not hesitate to file a complaint with the bar association.

For decades, Maddrey has been allowed to operate with impunity, preying on vulnerable women inside and outside of the NYPD. The department’s repeated failures to hold him accountable, even after prior allegations and lawsuits, reflect a systemic culture of complicity. Lieutenant Epps’s courage in coming forward shines a light on this pervasive misconduct. Her unblemished record as a supervisor, her resilience as a survivor of childhood trauma, domestic violence, and cancer, and her steadfast commitment to justice speak to her credibility and strength of character.

As for Maddrey’s threats of civil litigation, I say this: bring it on. If Maddrey and his legal team believe that filing a SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) defamation claim will silence us, they are mistaken. Such bad-faith legal actions are not only sanctionable by the courts but will also serve to expose Maddrey’s predatory behavior further.

Maddrey’s admissions, the extensive evidence we have collected, and the digital trail left behind will hold him accountable. Unfortunately for Maddrey, he could not isolate Epps in his office or outside in a park to physically overpower her and delete the digital evidence on her mobile device as he did to others. Moreover, the envelopes and gifts he demanded, the sexual favors he coerced, and the retaliatory actions he took against Lieutenant Epps demonstrate a calculated abuse of power. This is not about one victim or one incident—it is about dismantling a culture that has allowed predators like Maddrey to thrive unchecked.

Lieutenant Epps and I remain undeterred. To Maddrey, his legal team, and those complicit in covering up his actions: your tactics will not intimidate us. We will continue to fight for justice—not just for Lieutenant Epps but for every woman who has suffered in silence at the hands of those who abuse their power.

To the public, we stand with you in the belief that no one is above the law, and we are committed to holding those who abuse their positions accountable.

Eric Sanders, Esq.
Attorney for Lieutenant Quathisha Epps
The Sanders Firm, P.C.