For Immediate Release

Lieutenant Joel Ramirez’s lawsuit claims senior officials shielded white officers involved in misconduct while punishing him for exposing corruption, exacerbating distrust within the department and among the public.

New York, NY – April 29, 2025 – Lieutenant Joel Ramirez, a 19-year veteran of the New York City Police Department (NYPD), has filed a lawsuit in New York State Supreme Court alleging that the NYPD retaliated against him for whistleblowing and subjected him to a double standard in discipline. The suit claims that Ramirez was unfairly demoted and subjected to termination and disciplinary probation after he exposed an internal cover-up of officer misconduct. In contrast, other officers – predominantly white or politically connected – received lenient treatment for far more serious offenses. The 77-page Verified Complaint details a pattern of discrimination, retaliation, and favoritism within the NYPD’s disciplinary system, echoing longstanding concerns raised by the independent panel’s 2019 report on the NYPD, “The Report of the Independent Panel on the Disciplinary System of the New York City Police Department.”

Background: Whistleblower Alleges Cover-Up and Retaliation

According to the complaint, Ramirez served as a supervisor at the 2022 Electric Zoo music festival, overseeing narcotics enforcement and the handling of prisoner transports. During the event, several detectives were caught on video stealing expensive bottles of champagne and consuming alcohol while on duty – serious misconduct that Ramirez says he reported immediately to his superiors. Instead of disciplining the offending detectives, high-ranking officers allegedly orchestrated a cover-up. The complaint asserts that a group of commanders (including the Chief of Detectives Joseph E. Kenny, Deputy Chief Brian S. McGee, Inspector Peter A. Fiorillo, Deputy Inspecotr Christopher Henning, Deputy Inspector Daniel J. Campbell and Internal Affairs Bureau executives including former Chief of Internal Affairs David P. Barrere) intervened to shield the detectives – instructing them to change out of their uniforms and leave the scene – and then scapegoated Ramirez for “failure to supervise.”

Ramirez claims that after he objected to this cover-up and pushed for accountability, NYPD leadership retaliated with a barrage of unjust actions. He was stripped of his command, subjected to internal charges, and ultimately recommended for termination, despite the lack of any evidence to suggest that he had engaged in wrongdoing. Internal records show that the detectives who were involved in theft and alcohol misuse were largely protected by their superiors. In contrast, Ramirez – a Hispanic officer with an exemplary service record – was targeted for harsh punishment. The lawsuit alleges retaliation for whistleblowing and an act of racial and ethnic discrimination, given that the officers shielded from discipline were white and had influential connections within the NYPD’s ranks.

Ramirez’s ordeal culminated in a departmental trial on the “failure to supervise” charge, which he contends was a sham proceeding riddled with bias. The complaint alleges that NYPD officials ignored key exculpatory evidence, relied on speculative assertions instead of facts, and held him to an unreasonable standard that had never been applied to similarly situated supervisors. Despite multiple witnesses corroborating Ramirez’s proper conduct and the absence of any subordinate misconduct that he could have prevented, the trial outcome was pre-determined. In October 2024, then-Commissioner Thomas G. Donlon approved a recommendation to fire Ramirez (technically a dismissal held in abeyance for one year), effectively ending his NYPD career.

By contrast, the detectives who committed the misconduct at Electric Zoo faced minimal repercussions. The complaint notes that none of those officers were terminated; some received minor command disciplines or short suspensions at most, despite clear evidence they stole property and violated multiple department rules. “It was a complete inversion of justice,” the complaint states, alleging that NYPD leadership chose to silence the whistleblower and protect the wrongdoers. Ramirez’s suit contends that this outcome was driven by favoritism and a desire to avoid scandal, given that the involved detectives were members of the NYPD’s Gaelic Football Club – an organization with influential supporters within the department.

Favoritism and Inconsistent Discipline: Findings Mirror 2019 NYPD Panel Report

Ramirez’s allegations come against the backdrop of broader criticisms of NYPD’s disciplinary system. A high-profile 2019 Independent Panel Report on NYPD discipline, commissioned by then-Commissioner James O’Neill, warned of opaque processes, arbitrary standards, political favoritism, and systemic inconsistencies in the discipline of officers. The panel of legal experts found that officers with connections or clout often received lighter penalties, while others faced harsher outcomes for similar or lesser misconduct. In particular, the panel highlighted how political influence and personal relationships could sway disciplinary decisions: well-connected officers frequently saw their cases “quietly dismissed or faced minimal consequences,” whereas those without patronage – or those who had fallen out of favor – were subjected to severe penalties without clear justification. This double standard, the report concluded, compromised the integrity of the entire disciplinary system and raised serious concerns about transparency and fairness.

The complaint asserts that Ramirez is a textbook example of the very problems identified by the 2019 panel. It alleges that NYPD officials applied inconsistent and biased discipline: protecting favored officers while punishing Ramirez disproportionally, despite his lack of misconduct. Indeed, former Commissioner Donlon’s decision to terminate Ramirez is contrasted with multiple recent cases in which officers who committed egregious offenses retained their jobs. The complaint explicitly cites the independent panel’s findings, noting that even the perception of favoritism or bias can undermine confidence in the disciplinary system. In Ramirez’s case, that perception was reinforced by outcomes that defied logic or merit – a scenario the panel cautioned could happen in a system with little transparency and virtually unchecked discretion for top officials.

Notably, the NYPD’s disciplinary process has historically lacked public transparency due to New York’s now-repealed Civil Rights Law §50-a, which shielded police misconduct records from disclosure. The 2019 panel found that this “fundamental and pervasive lack of transparency” bred mistrust and impeded accountability. Ramirez’s experience, his lawsuit alleges, exemplifies how secretive disciplinary proceedings allow favoritism to flourish. Key decisions in his case were made behind closed doors, with no explanation provided for deviating from standard procedures. The Commissioner provided no detailed rationale for why Ramirez was singled out, creating an appearance of arbitrariness that “undermines the confidence of the public and other constituencies in the integrity and fairness of the NYPD’s disciplinary system.”

Comparator Cases Highlight Disparate Treatment

In support of his claims, Ramirez’s complaint sets forth numerous comparative cases of NYPD officers who engaged in serious misconduct but received leniency, in stark contrast to the harsh outcome he endured. These examples, spanning recent years, illustrate an alleged pattern of discipline by double standards:

• Officer Willie Thompson: Accused of multiple sexual encounters with a crime witness and making false statements, Thompson’s misconduct led an NYPD Trials Commissioner to recommend termination. Instead, in October 2023, Commissioner Caban overruled that recommendation and imposed only the loss of 30 vacation days and one year of dismissal probation. The complaint alleges that this decision was driven by Thompson’s political connections, which constitutes improper influence on the process.

• Detective Marissa Sorocco: Arrested for Arson (intentionally setting a fire causing property damage) and criminal mischief, Sorocco did not lose her job. She forfeited 30 days’ pay, served one year of probation, and then returned to full duty without demotion under Commissioner James O’Neill. Despite the felony-level nature of her offense, she was given an opportunity for rehabilitation that Ramirez was denied.

• Officer Kimberly Lucas: Caught submitting fraudulent COVID-19 vaccination cards and lying during an official investigation, Lucas faced charges of dishonesty. An NYPD deputy commissioner recommended termination; yet, on May 10, 2024, Commissioner Caban rejected that and levied only an 85-day vacation day loss and a one-year probation. He cited her prior good performance as justification, a tolerance not afforded to Ramirez despite his exemplary record.

• Officer Delare Rathour: Found guilty in two separate incidents of domestic violence and reckless endangerment against his wife, including one incident causing her serious spinal injuries, an NYPD Trials Commissioner urged that Rathour be fired for his “blatant disregard” for safety. Nevertheless, Commissioner Caban again deviated from that recommendation and imposed lesser, undisclosed penalties, which the complaint links to Rathour’s affiliations with influential NYPD figures. Rathour remained on the force, whereas Ramirez was recommended for termination for a far less egregious situation.

• Probationary Officer Joseph M. Essig: In a highly publicized case, Joseph Essig – the son of NYPD Chief of Detectives James Essig – was arrested in 2015 for felony sexual misconduct. He ultimately pleaded guilty to a minor violation and paid a fine. Rather than being disqualified from service, Essig was allowed to continue his NYPD career under Commissioner William Bratton, even securing an assignment to the elite Gun Violence Suppression Division. Ramirez notes that he was recommended for termination despite never having been convicted of any crime, while Essig kept his position after a serious arrest for a crime.

These and other cases outlined in the complaint (involving offenses ranging from DUI and child endangerment to associating with criminals and filing false reports) and indeed others unknown to Ramirez at the time, all paint a consistent picture. Officers with political clout or favored status were shielded from termination despite well-founded misconduct charges, whereas Ramirez, who lacked such connections, received the NYPD’s harshest penalty. The lawsuit alleges that this disparity is not coincidental but symptomatic of a deeply flawed system. “The NYPD’s disparate disciplinary practices demonstrate that conduct involving public intoxication, domestic violence, endangering children, obstruction of investigations, and even felony-level misconduct were not deemed fireable offenses when politically connected individuals were involved,” says Eric Sanders. In contrast, Ramirez was recommended for termination “under materially different circumstances that had little to do with merit and everything to do with retaliation and discrimination,” say Sanders.

Systemic Impact: Eroding Trust and Public Safety

Ramirez’s case raises alarms about the broader consequences of the NYPD’s alleged retaliation against whistleblowers and uneven discipline. Policing experts have long warned that a “blue wall of silence” – where officers fear reporting misconduct – can fester when whistleblowers are punished instead of rewarded. This practice deters honest cops from coming forward, enabling wrongdoing to continue unchecked. It also undermines internal accountability mechanisms, since crucial information about misconduct may never surface if officers believe speaking up will lead to retaliation.

Such a culture has dire implications for public trust and safety. When misconduct is swept under the rug and whistleblowers are ostracized, the community’s confidence in law enforcement erodes. As the 2019 independent panel noted, even the appearance of bias or favoritism in discipline “undermines the legitimacy of the disciplinary process” in the eyes of both officers and the public. Communities rely on police departments to police themselves with fairness and transparency; if, instead, the NYPD is perceived to protect insiders and punish truth-tellers, citizens may doubt whether bad officers are ever held accountable. This erosion of trust can lead to the public being less cooperative with police investigations and less likely to report crimes, ultimately harming public safety. It also demoralizes the rank-and-file officers who abide by the rules, only to see others get special treatment.

“Retaliating against a whistleblower like Lieutenant Ramirez doesn’t just violate his rights – it’s dangerous for the department and the city. It sends the worst possible signal to other officers: that integrity is unwelcome. By punishing those who speak up and rewarding those who break the rules, the NYPD fosters a culture of fear and silence. This culture not only shatters the careers of good officers, but it also deprives New Yorkers of a police department that consistently enforces standards of honesty and professionalism. In the end, it erodes public trust, and without trust, effective policing becomes impossible,” says Sanders.

The lawsuit alleges that these issues are not just individual grievances but systemic failures. It points out that NYPD officials had opportunities to intervene in Ramirez’s case and prevent a miscarriage of justice, yet at every level, the leadership ratified the retaliatory actions. Former Commissioners Keechant L. Sewell, Edward A. Caban, and Donlon – all named as defendants – allegedly either knew or should have known about the biased handling of the Electric Zoo incident but took no action to stop it. By “rubberstamping” a flawed and disproportionate penalty against a whistleblower, the suit argues, NYPD’s top brass demonstrated a tolerance for favoritism and retribution that saps morale within the force and damages the NYPD’s reputation in the community. This has prompted calls for stronger external oversight of NYPD discipline and better legal protections for officers who come forward with information about misconduct.

Lawsuit and Relief Sought

Ramirez’s Verified Complaint, filed April 29, 2025, asserts causes of action under the New York State and City Human Rights Laws, including claims of racial/national origin discrimination and unlawful retaliation. It seeks reinstatement to his position, back pay and benefits, and compensatory and punitive damages for the harm to his career and reputation.

This case arrives at a time of heightened scrutiny of NYPD’s disciplinary practices. In recent years, the Department has publicly committed to improving transparency and consistency, for example, by publishing a disciplinary penalty guidelines matrix to “eliminate the perception of favoritism or bias” in punishment. Ramirez’s experience, however, suggests that entrenched cultural problems remain. His lawsuit will shed light on whether NYPD leadership has truly broken from past patterns of favoritism, political interference, and retaliation, or whether more profound change is still needed to ensure that all officers are held accountable under the same fair standards.

Contact:

Eric Sanders, Esq.
The Sanders Firm, P.C.
30 Wall Street, 8th Floor
New York, NY 10005
Phone: (212) 652-2782

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Read the Verified Complaint

Read the 2019 Independent Panel Report – NYPD Disciplinary System