Inspector Carl Holmes, in October 2013, was installed as the Chief of School Security for Philadelphia Public Schools and the Police Athletic League. This assignment was given to Holmes, despite his long history of sexual misconduct allegations.
At the time of the appointment, the Philadelphia Police Department released a statement stating “Chief Holmes is more than qualified to lead this position, and Commissioner Charles Ramsey has the utmost confidence in his ability in working to keep our kids safe. Furthermore, none of those issues involved children in any way, shape, or form,” Lt. John Stanford, a police spokesman, said in an email response to the Philadelphia Tribune.
Needless to say, parents of children in the Philadelphia public school system were not pleased. Despite the fact of his history of lawsuits and sexual misconduct allegations, then-Commissioner Charles Ramsey defended his decision by stating “I don’t understand what the issue is, or why anybody is concerned about it.”, according to the Philadelphia Magazine.
So fast forward to 2017. On January 11, 2017, U.S. District Judge Mark A. Kearney excoriated the police department writing that there is a complicity, that people in authority, as high as the police commissioner ignore when it comes to misconduct.
In the complaint of Philadelphia Police Officer Michele Vandegrift vs. City of Philadelphia, Officer Vandegrift alleges that Chief Inspector Carl Holmes sexually assaulted her in 2007. And this isn’t the first time at the rodeo for Holmes.
Another police officer, Christina Hayburn, alleged that Holmes sexually assaulted her in 2006. The suit states that in Holmes chased Hayburn as she was trying to leave a bar, pulled her into his vehicle and “began kissing her “really hard” as he touched her breasts and put his hands on the outside of her pants toward her genitals.” It should be noted that Carl Holmes is a 6-foot-6, 280-pound former offensive tackle for Temple University. One can easily see how this imposing figure would have no problem overpowering a woman. Account of Officer Hayburn’s incident here.
The suit further alleges that during this encounter, Holmes “digitally penetrated her vagina, after which he pulled out his penis and placed Officer Hayburn’s hand on top of it”. Hayburn stated she said “No”, after he attempted to have intercourse and oral sex, but that Holmes “eventually ejaculated”.
As a result of the investigation into this complaint, Holmes city car was impounded and forensic evidence found “seminal stains containing spermatozoa”. Holmes denied the allegation and claimed he had sexual relations with a female civilian in the city car twice, which is why there was semen in the car. The investigators did not ask for the name of the civilian employee, or for her description and Holmes did not provide it.
Holmes has denied any wrong-doing involving Vandegrift. But he did admit to having sex in his tax-payer funded vehicle with a civilian city employee. Conveniently, there was no further investigation of that civilian. Therefore; the police department doesn’t know if that civilian was a victim of a crime, or a willing participant because they only had the side of Holmes.
Vandegrift further alleges in the complaint that Holmes “wanted to know how wet she was” and that he inserted his finger into her vagina. The complaint also alleges that he pulled his hand out, tasted his finger, and remarked “it tasted good”. This allegedly happened in his office while they were both working. The complaint then goes on to name 24th District officers and Southwest Detectives, both places where Vandegrift worked, who engaged in highly inappropriate, and in some cases, criminal sexual behavior.
The complaint is a salacious and disgusting account of what became a nightmare for Michele Vandegrift. Read Complaint Here
Writing in the opinion in response to a summary judgement motion filed by the City of Philadelphia to dismiss the gender discrimination and retaliation lawsuit, in denying the request, Judge Kearney wrote “Mrs. Vandegrift adduces facts necessary to create a genuine issue of material fact as to her claims of gender discrimination, hostile work environment, and retaliation under Title VII, the PHRA, and the Philadelphia Fair Practices Ordinance. Ms. Vandegrift also provides sufficient evidence of a well-settled custom of sexual harassment within the Philadelphia Police Department.”
There is clearly a problem. Holmes even admitted in a deposition that it is difficult for female police officers on the job and they have to listen to comments about sex on the job.
Curiously, also in a deposition regarding the suit, Chief Inspector Christopher Flacco admitted that he authorized disciplinary action against Vandegrift as a result of something she had written on Facebook, because another officer had been disciplined for a Facebook message because of her complaint.
And Officer Vandegrift named names in her lawsuit. There was a litany of allegations against numerous 24th District Officers and Southwest Detective personnel of various ranks. From Inspector Anthony Washington, to Lieutenant Anthony LaSalle to Detective James Priadka and countless other police personnel who made lewd comments and at least one who “slapped her on the backside.” The details are lascivious.
In a deposition involving former Philadelphia Police Officer Keisha Johnson against the City involving Staff Inspector Jerrold Bates, (or Master Bates as he is now called), Bates admits to having a orgy with Officer Johnson, another Police Captain, Nicholas Brown and a friend of Officer Johnson.
Bates was Officer Johnson‘s boss at the time. Bates also admits that he saw pictures of Johnson with another employee, Corporal Gail Newsome Middleton, in which he shared with Captain Brown. In her lawsuit, Johnson alleges “Plaintiff (Johnson) also sent Bates numerous cell phone pictures of herself, at his request, so he could masturbate when he was home. (Id. at 69:12-75:11.) Bates also talked about having Plaintiff go to a hotel with him, which she refused, and he solicited her to have group sex with Corporal Newsome-Middleton and Sergeant Williams, which also did not occur. (Id. at 75:8-77:4.) See deposition here: bates-deposition-v-city-doc42-5-bates-depo. Officer Keisha Johnson Lawsuit here: Keisha Johnson vs. Jerrold Bates, ETAL
There are going to be people in Internal Affairs, as some did in depositions, who will claim to remember how Officer Keisha Johnson and Corporal Newsome-Middleton, dressed like whores. If this is factual, once again, the supervisors in Internal Affairs who allowed this behavior to exist is part of the problem. The problem is systemic and persuasive in policing.
If orgies and menage a trois’ can go on involving the then, Staff Inspector Jerrold Bates, who was in charge of the EEO unit, and his Captain buddy with subordinates, while assigned to Internal Affairs, where does it stop?
This goes beyond the old adage of “boys being boys”. Alot of this behavior is criminal. When the victims cannot rely on the head of policing agencies to protect them, what can the citizens, whom they are sworn to protect expect?
One shining star in the Vandegrift lawsuit is Lieutenant Ray Saggesse, who according to Vandegrift, expressed his frustration at not being able to properly investigate misconduct as an Internal Affairs Investigator. He relayed his frustration that he was even unable to get these jobs to the District Attorney’s Office for review.
Despite years of increasingly pointed warnings and mounting legal challenges, sexual harassment in the Philadelphia Police Department remains an entrenched and serious problem. Victims of sexual misconduct can expect the same treatment that other whistle blowers can expect: disciplinary charges, being treated like a pariah, termination and/or being charged with a crime.
According to these documents and numerous police officials who say there is a climate of hostility toward women and it isn’t just in Philadelphia, it is in Chicago, the LAPD, Dallas and can be found in even the smallest police departments. And this unlawful behavior has got to stop.
Until some of these perpetrators are arrested or at least terminated, there will remain a feeling that female police officers are fair game. Officer Vandegrift is now a Police Detective.
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