A female rookie officer has filed a civil suit against the New Hampshire police department, accusing them of firing her for "false, slanderous, and libelous allegations," after she complained about her supervisor's incessantly sexist comments and sexually-suggestive stories.
In the civil suit, New Boston police officer Alexandra Drake accused her former supervisor, Michael Masella, of admitting that he wished he could take women out of their cars and "rape" them during routine traffic stops while training her, according to NY Daily News.
Drake, who began working under Masella's supervision in 2013, claimed she didn't come forward with this information until now because she feared that no one would believe her."Drake was unsure whether anyone would believe her, or if any of her colleagues would support her given that Masella was a career man, second in command of the police department and very good friend," court documents state. The rookie officer also feared that speaking up would result in possible harassment against her. "Drake was certain that the slightest slip could make her a target of severe harassment, termination of employment or even rape," the complaint reads. And her fears weren't wrong.
According to the complaint, Drake was allegedly harassed off the job by Masella. In addition to allegedly running into her while she was exercising outdoors, Masella allegedly showed up to her home uninvited and asked if she was naked. Drake also accuses her supervisor of forcing her to falsify a police report for other officers on DWI cases.
Until Drake's recent allegations, the New Boston police department has never reportedly looked into Masella's behavior. Masella, who is still actively on the force, claims he is "shocked by the allegations and absolutely denies them," according to his lawyer Brian Cullen. He also believes Drake "manufactured" her allegations as a way to "explain her termination."
