Lt. Quathisha Epps, a 51-year-old NYPD officer, has filed a discrimination claim against the city, alleging that Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey, the highest-ranking uniformed officer, coerced her into sexual acts in exchange for overtime opportunities. Epps, who recently gained notoriety for earning $400,000, including over $200,000 in overtime, claims Maddrey exploited her financial vulnerability stemming from an impending foreclosure. According to Epps, Maddrey’s alleged harassment began in June 2023, shortly after he became chief of department. She contends he repeatedly propositioned her for various sexual acts, often using the coded message “DAP” to signify his desire for anal sex. Epps graphically details an instance where she alleges Maddrey forced himself upon her in his office, despite her pleas for him to stop. She paints a picture of a power dynamic where Maddrey leveraged her financial desperation and knowledge of her past trauma as an incest survivor to manipulate her into compliance.
Central to Epps’s complaint is the accusation that Maddrey offered her unlimited overtime in exchange for sexual favors. This exchange, Epps claims, became a recurring pattern. She alleges that Maddrey would dangle the promise of overtime – crucial for her to avoid foreclosure – while simultaneously pressuring her for sexual acts. Epps asserts that she felt trapped and powerless, fearing that refusal would jeopardize her financial stability and potentially her career. She further alleges that Maddrey’s demands extended beyond sexual acts, encompassing bizarre requests such as paying for a vacation for him and his wife and transferring her family’s apartment to one of Maddrey’s detectives. These demands, Epps argues, further demonstrate the extent of Maddrey’s manipulative behavior and his abuse of power.
Adding another layer to the alleged abuse, Epps claims Maddrey used his knowledge of her past trauma as a survivor of childhood incest to further manipulate her. She suggests that this understanding of her vulnerability made her a more susceptible target for his advances and contributed to her reluctance to report his behavior. The complaint paints a picture of a deeply unsettling power dynamic where Maddrey, her superior officer, exploited not only her financial difficulties but also her deeply personal trauma. This layered manipulation, Epps argues, created an environment of fear and coercion that prevented her from speaking out sooner.
Beyond the alleged sexual coercion, Epps also claims Maddrey tasked her with managing his extramarital affairs, demonstrating a further abuse of his authority. She recounts being instructed to keep two of Maddrey’s mistresses apart, revealing a pattern of behavior that, if true, suggests a blatant disregard for professional boundaries and ethical conduct. Epps’s account paints a picture of an environment where Maddrey used his position to not only solicit sexual favors but also to manage his personal life, blurring the lines between professional and personal matters and further solidifying the power imbalance between them.
The most recent alleged incident, according to Epps, occurred after she expressed her intention to retire following media exposure of her substantial overtime earnings. She claims Maddrey offered to intervene on her behalf with Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, but only after demanding another sexual act. Feeling cornered, Epps alleges she complied. Following this incident, she filed for retirement, citing the severe emotional and professional toll of Maddrey’s alleged abuse. However, instead of accepting her retirement, the NYPD suspended Epps and initiated an investigation against her, a move that Epps’s lawyer argues is retaliatory.
Maddrey vehemently denies all allegations, suggesting that Epps’s accusations are a calculated attempt to deflect attention from her own alleged wrongdoing related to her overtime earnings. His attorney, Lambros Lambrou, dismisses the claims as baseless and opportunistic, implying that Epps is attempting to tarnish Maddrey’s reputation as a means of self-preservation. He characterizes Epps’s actions as a desperate attempt to “take down as many people as she can,” framing her as a disgruntled employee lashing out after being caught in her own misconduct. This contrasting narrative sets the stage for a potentially contentious legal battle, with each side presenting starkly different accounts of the events in question. The truth of the matter will ultimately be determined through the legal process.
