Q&A
DOC Commissioner's background and acknowledgment of sexual abuse allegations
1:07:16
·
3 min
Council Member Sandy Nurse questions DOC Commissioner Lynelle Maginley-Liddie about her tenure at DOC and her stance on the sexual abuse allegations at Rikers Island.
- Commissioner Maginley-Liddie has been with DOC since September 2015
- The Commissioner acknowledges the seriousness of the allegations and expresses the need to address the issues
- She confirms that she believes the stories shared by the women testifying about their experiences of abuse
- The importance of believing survivor testimonies is emphasized as foundational to the conversation
Lynelle Maginley-Liddie
1:07:16
long have you worked within DOC for the record?
1:07:20
I've been with the department since 2015, September of 2015.
Sandy Nurse
1:07:27
Can I ask you With all these allegations and what you heard today, do you believe that there's a problem at Rykers?
1:07:35
Do you believe these these stories?
Lynelle Maginley-Liddie
1:07:38
I believe that we really need to look into it.
1:07:42
I do believe that people have raised some serious concerns.
1:07:47
And I think that as a department that we have to truly, like, lean in and make sure that these concerns are dressed.
1:07:55
And Part of it is also like just even screening people before they come to work at the department, screening contractors, visitors.
1:08:06
It you know, sitting here and listening to it, it it really it is concerning.
1:08:11
And as a department, we have to really address these issues.
1:08:15
It can't be every time we we say something on the record, and then we don't really do the work.
1:08:20
Yeah.
1:08:22
But just to to kinda get to a yes or no do you believe the women the stories that were told today?
Sandy Nurse
1:08:32
I I believe what they're saying.
1:08:34
Yes.
1:08:35
Thank you for that because I think that's really important and foundational for us in how we're gonna have this conversation today because I think we're all aware that what the council has powers to do and what we don't have powers to do.
1:08:50
And what we really can do is just bring you all here to ask to answer questions, honestly, truthfully, and provide as much information that you have, that we don't have.
1:09:02
You know, we don't work in this facility.
1:09:04
We don't we don't hire folks there.
1:09:07
We don't do the disciplinary actions there.
1:09:10
Everything that we have is based on reporting that we have to come up with in legislation or from you all or from people who go through it.
1:09:20
And so all we have is these kinds of moments to set the record straight and try to get as much correct as possible.
1:09:27
So it's really foundational that you believe what you're hearing when women are coming and taking time out of their data to to share something so painful, and for people to to file 700 lawsuits.
1:09:45
That's really important.
1:09:46
So thank you for saying yes.
1:09:49
So on the topic of investigations and accountability, during our hearing in April on DOC's grievance process, assistant commissioner Levine told us that during a preliminary investigation into a staff member, if the investigations division believes it has a founded sexual abuse case, the department can suspend staff members.
1:10:19
Assistant chief member added that depending on the nature of the allegations, a service member can also be placed on modified status or removed from the facility where they are currently working before a full investigation is concluded, and I'd like to know a little bit more about how these determinations are made.
1:10:38
Can you give us more detail on what is considered a founded sexual abuse case?
1:10:44
Such that the department would move ahead with the suspension or modify duty before a full investigation is complete.
1:10:52
What sort of evidence of sexual abuse would need to exist for the department to make that determination?
1:10:58
Concretely and is in painstaking detail as you can.
1:11:03
Good
