Corrections1 Staff
NEW YORK CITY — A former New York City corrections officer was wrongfully fired for sharing a video of a 2018 juvenile center fight that left 20 COs injured, according to a lawsuit filed Wednesday.
The New York Post reports Asha Ramrup sent the footage to a group WhatsApp chat for corrections officers to demonstrate the dangers of working at Horizon Juvenile Center. The footage, which was leaked to media outlets and shared on social media, shows COs attempting to control multiple teenage inmates.
The lawsuit alleges Ramrup was fired in July for “reasons that were arbitrary, capricious and in bad faith,” the New York Post reports. Ramrup alleges in her lawsuit that other corrections officers reposted the video but did not face the same repercussions.
Ramrup’s suit argues she should be reinstated “because of the chilling effect [her termination] sought to impose on officers who wanted to speak out for the mutual aid and protection of fellow officers,” according to the New York Post. Her attorney, Sonya Chazin, told the Post she is “very confident” Ramrup will win the case.
A spokesman for the city’s Law Department told the New York Post, “We’ll review the case when we get it.” The New York City Department of Corrections didn’t respond to the Post’s request for comment.