21 Jun NYSCASA Statement on Potential Dismissal of Sexual Harassment Case Against Schenectady Detective
For Immediate Release: June 21, 2022
Contact: Chel Miller, Communications Director, NYSCASA, cmiller@nyscasa.org
NYSCASA Statement on Potential Dismissal of Sexual Harassment Case Against Schenectady Detective
In March 2022, NYSCASA issued a statement regarding a case of sexual harassment perpetuated by a law enforcement official in New York’s Capital Region. We recently learned that the harassment case filed against Schenectady Police Department Detective Brandon Kietlinski has ended with the case’s potential dismissal.
The resolution resulted in no admissions of wrongdoing or finding against Kietlinski, but it also comes with “refrain from” orders of protection related to the two people who made the allegations. “Refrain from” orders of protection allow parties to have contact, but prohibit harassing, intimidating, threatening, or otherwise interfering with the person protected by the order. Saratoga County District Attorney Karen Heggen, whose office prosecuted the case, says prosecutors have been in touch with the victims, who say they are satisfied with the result of the case.
While NYSCASA is disappointed in the results of this case, we uplift and commend the victims who bravely came forward to speak their truth. We hope that they receive the support that they want and deserve.
Sexual violence is the second most frequently reported form of law enforcement misconduct after excessive force. In a review of cases in the U.S. over a ten-year period, the Buffalo News found that, on average, a law enforcement officer is caught in the act of sexual misconduct every five days. Like sexual assault and harassment perpetuated by the general population, sexual assault and harassment perpetuated by law enforcement agents is under-reported, under-investigated, and under-prosecuted.
In 2015, dozens of organizations advocating for women of color submitted a statement to the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing asserting that sexual violence by law enforcement is “by no means an isolated phenomenon,” and thus requires a policy response by law enforcement agencies and the federal government. NYSCASA supports the policy recommendations outlined in the statement and is eager to see these recommendations implemented.
If you have experienced sexual harassment, abuse, or assault, you are not alone.
New Yorkers who have experienced sexual harassment, abuse, and assault can call the 24/7 New York State Hotline for Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence for free and confidential support from trained victim advocates: 1-800-942-6906.
Victims and survivors in Schenectady County can also obtain free and confidential support from victim advocates at Planned Parenthood of Greater New York by calling the 24/7 hotline: 518-346-2266.
Additional resources for survivors/victims and their loved ones are available on NYSCASA’s website: https://nyscasa.org/survivors
Resources for further learning:
- Interrupting Criminalization, Shrouded in Silence: Police Sexual Violence: What We Know & What Can We Do About It (April 2021)
- Interrupting Criminalization, Breaking the Silence: Supporting Survivors of Police Sexual Violence (April 2021)
- Women of Color’s Experiences of Policing, Statement Submitted to the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing (January 28, 2015)
- The Cato Institute, National Police Misconduct Reporting Project: 2010 Annual Report (2010)
- Matthew Spina, When a Protector Becomes a Predator, Buffalo News (November 22, 2015)
Click here to access a PDF of this statement.