A Guyana-born woman, who became the first New York Police Department (NYPD) female Captain from this country, has settled for a US$800,000 payout from the department over claims that a top department commander buried her discrimination complaint before he was caught posting racist messages on an internet bulletin board.
According to a New York Daily News report, Captain Sharon Balli had claimed in her 2021 lawsuit that Deputy Inspector James Kobel, then the No. 2 in the NYPD’s Equal Employment Opportunity office, promised to investigate her allegations that she experienced frat-house sexism in the Manhattan South Narcotics unit, and suffered retaliation when she complained.
“I just wanted to let you know that my investigators brought me up to speed on your complaint,” Kobel wrote, according to Balli’s complaint. “We will certainly be in touch with you to conduct an interview and to gather additional information.”
But according to the Captain’s suit he never even formally interviewed her but instead tipped off the targets of her complaints. .
Kobel was promoted three weeks later to commander of the Equal Employment Opportunity unit but at the time was living a secret life. Posing as “Clouseau” — the name of Peter Sellers’ “Pink Panther” detective — he secretly posted hundreds of obscene and racist messages on The Rant, an online bulletin board frequented by current and retired cops.
He was later exposed and fired in November 2020.
According to the report Balli joined the NYPD in 2004, and became its first Guyanese female captain. She served for 23 years active and reserve duty in the U.S. Army, including four combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. She earned a Bronze Star and other commendations and retired as a major.
She initially sued in 2020 for US$5 million, claiming a captain in Manhattan narcotics, Harlton Marachilian, told her, “You need more sex to stay calm. Sex is good for stress.”
She also claimed another captain, Edwin Nuez, boasted about paying for sex during vacations abroad.
When she reported the comments to her boss, Deputy Inspector Andrew Arias, he told her, “Stand down and stay in your lane.”
After she complained to Arias, her colleagues allegedly broke her computer and phone and filed a complaint against her for installing a small surveillance camera in the office. That complaint sparked an Internal Affairs investigation that nearly led to her arrest before a Daily News story about her case.
That probe was handled by Internal Affairs Bureau Group 1, which investigates captains and above. That unit referred her case to Julio Cuevas, the deputy chief of the Manhattan DA’s Public Corruption Unit. The DA’s office declined to prosecute.
As part of the settlement, the disciplinary case against Balli was dropped.
“This settlement would not be necessary if the distinguished career of Captain Balli was not senselessly ruined,” said lawyer John Scola. “We hope that this lawsuit will lead to the punishment of the people responsible and the review of all cases overseen by Kobel while he commanded the NYPD’s Equal Employment office.”
Balli technically remains on the job until April. “I will try to cherish those memories rather than dwell on the negative actions of a few bad actors as I transition into the next stage of my life,” she said, according to the report.
A city Law Department spokesman said the settlement was in the best interests of both parties. The NYPD did not respond to a request for comment.
