HARRIS COUNTY, Texas – A lawsuit alleging sexual misconduct involving high-ranking members of the Harris County Precinct 1 Constable Office was filed Monday morning.
The lawsuit was filed on behalf of three former and current female deputies and a Human Trafficking advocate, who claimed the department knew about sexual misconduct but did nothing to stop it. The lawsuit names Precinct 1 Constable Alan Rosen, Assistant Chief Chris Gore and Lieutenant Shane Rigdon.
The female deputies claim they were recruited to the department’s Human Trafficking Unit and molested by their intoxicated male commanding officers during undercover operations that they called bachelor party-style prostitution stings.
The lawsuit claims the women tried reporting the alleged abuse but were ridiculed, retaliated against and reassigned to less prestigious duties.
A whistleblower and human trafficking advocate at the constable’s office came forward on the women’s behalf but the lawsuit said she has fired shortly after.
“If these allegations are proven true by a preponderance of the evidence, I think that reasonable people could conclude that this was an ongoing quasi-criminal enterprise,” said KPRC 2 Legal Analyst Brian Wice.
The lawsuit also alleges that Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg was aware of the allegations but said she did nothing to stop it.
Dane Schiller, a spokesman for the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, released the following comment:
“Anytime we receive an allegation from an officer accusing a fellow officer of impropriety, we connect them with appropriate investigative entities. We are not the investigative agency for such allegations, be them administrative, civil or criminal. In this matter, our Sex Crimes Division quickly asked Constable Pct. 1 Internal Affairs to investigate whether there was evidence of a crime and Ms. Aluotto has represented she contacted the Texas Rangers. Nothing has been presented to prosecutors by either agency.”
KPRC 2 contacted the Precinct 1 Constable Office about the allegations and obtained this statement.
“We have not yet seen any lawsuit,” said spokesperson Kevin Quinn prior to the lawsuit being filed. “We will comment as the timing becomes appropriate. (When) allegations are formally filed, we look forward to reviewing them and making sure the truth is revealed.”
A press conference was held by the attorney to address the accusations.
Constable Alan Rosen released the following statement regarding the lawsuit:
When we were made aware of a concern by a third party several months ago, I proactively instructed our Internal Affairs Division to conduct an investigation. We did this even though no one made a formal complaint. This is consistent with our ongoing commitment to protecting victims and our personnel. My sensitivity toward victims remains our highest priority.
To this day, not one of these plaintiffs has ever made a formal complaint. Each employee interviewed was given the opportunity, in a safe environment, to express any concerns. Their own interview statements contradict many of the allegations in the lawsuit. Upon conclusion of our internal investigation, our Administrative Disciplinary Committee found no violations of law or policy.
When we began our proactive internal investigation, we immediately transferred leadership of the Human Trafficking Unit to another supervisor who still maintains oversight of that unit today. VICTIM’S VOICES MATTER. I have a zero-tolerance stance against sexual assault and sexual harassment and would never allow a hostile work environment as alleged. This lawsuit is an effort to impugn the good reputation of the hard-working men and women of the Precinct One Constable’s Office. I believe our system of due process works and that justice and truth will prevail as facts in this case come to light. We will have no further comment today on this matter.
Watch the full update below: