Supervisors in the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation allegedly threw wild, booze-filled holiday parties in a city-owned building on Randall's Island, asking female employees to strip in a "boom boom" room in exchange for more work, according to a report in the New York Daily News.
The city's Department of Investigation is reportedly probing the holiday party allegations as well as sexual harassment complaints.
Unnamed sources within the Parks Department told the Daily News that male supervisors and employees would set up a makeshift stripper pole and encourage seasonal employees to strip down to better their chances of keeping a job there.
The "men turned off the overhead lights, set up up a disco strobe and came prepared with plenty of dollar bills," sources told the Daily News.
Two of the male supervisors accused of running these parties have been transferred "pending the outcome of the investigation," sources said.
The Parks Department sent us this statement:
"On Wednesday May 22, the Parks Department was made aware of sexual harassment allegations made by one fulltime and one seasonal female parks worker against two male supervisors in the Five-Borough Technical Services division. Parks immediately referred the matter to the Department of Investigation, and DOI immediately launched an inquiry. The two female parks workers, at their request, have been transferred."
This isn't the first Parks Department scandal of 2013.
Earlier this year, the Daily News reported that the city paid a settlement of $165,000 to settle racial discrimination claims against the parks department.
Please follow Law & Order on Twitter and Facebook.
Join the conversation about this story »
     |