Sheriff Raphael Washington
Wayne County Sheriff Raphael “Ray” Washington says sexual harassment allegations in a federal lawsuit have been extremely challenging, and insists they have “absolutely zero, zero validity.”
“This is the most terrible thing that I've had to deal with in my...43-year career, as a group of lies that tries to distract our agency,” Washington said during an appearance Wednesday night on the Detroit in Black and White podcast.
He said his lawyers have made a motion to dismiss the case before it goes to trial.
The allegations are contained in a lawsuit filed by former sheriff’s office official Regina Parks, who alleged that Washington touched or struck her on the buttocks several times, rubbed and touched her stomach and thighs over and under her clothing, and made lewd and sexual comments about her body, according to The Detroit News.
The lawsuit contains allegations involving other women, including WDIV reporter Erika Erickson, who worked for him as communications director from November 2021 to October 2022.
He repeatedly insisted the allegations have no credibility.
Washington said the lawsuit has not distracted his staff from carrying out its mission.
“I had a major conversation with my staff, my upper upper echelon of the staff. We are doing the work...nobody's walking around with their head down.”
“We're out here doing the work of the people,” he said. “We don't have time to be distracted.”
He also talked about his dealings with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
“We did have a conversation with them and and they wanted to know...could they come in our jails and just find out who is who,” Washington explained.
“And I said, ‘you absolutely can't find out who is who. If you have somebody in our jails that you're interested in...we will let you talk to them and find out whatever you can find out from them but you have to understand...every single inmate that's in our jail is in there under court order because a judge has to put them there.’”
