Ex-New Haven Dispatcher Sues City Over Alleged Workplace Harassment and Betting Pool
Former New Haven emergency dispatcher files lawsuit against the city, citing sexual harassment, a pregnancy betting pool, and denied medical accommodations.
POLICY WIRE — New Haven, United States — A former emergency dispatcher for the New Haven police and fire departments has initiated legal action against the municipality. The lawsuit outlines serious allegations of workplace sexual harassment, including an office betting pool regarding the paternity of her child, culminating in her departure after a medical accommodation request was refused.
Court filings submitted on September 17 indicate that Krystina Polchies stepped down in September 2024. Her resignation followed what the legal complaint describes as continuous harassment, retaliation, and the rejection of necessary medical adjustments.
According to the New Haven Register, the suit states that Polchies has experienced sustained losses in salary, benefits, and employment prerequisites. The court documents also note that she has endured severe humiliation, mental anxiety, and emotional distress, alongside various incidental expenses.
Lenny Speiller, a spokesperson for the city, responded to the legal action via email. He noted that an administrator at the Connecticut Department of Labor previously determined that Polchies departed her job voluntarily and without good cause, a decision later upheld when the state’s Employment Security Appeals Division reviewed and dismissed her appeal.
While declining to address specific details of the pending litigation, Speiller emphasized that the municipal government refutes the claims and anticipates that the judicial outcome will align with prior administrative findings.
Listing the city as the sole defendant, the complaint progressed to court after the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities granted authorization to pursue the discrimination lawsuit.
Polchies joined the department in November 2022 and became pregnant in September 2023. Officials approved a workload limitation of 40 hours per week during her pregnancy the following month.
During that timeframe, an unapproved photograph showing Polchies jet skiing with her supervisor appeared inside a supervisor’s locker. The incident sparked rumors of a workplace relationship, which led the director and assistant director to investigate whether the supervisor had improperly entered restricted areas of the building.
In December 2023, the supervisor allegedly texted Polchies an image of a training room poster. Co-workers had reportedly signed the sheet and attached monetary wagers to guesses regarding the father of her baby.
After returning from maternity leave in the summer of 2024, Polchies underwent surgery for a medical issue. When she came back to work in September 2024, she asked for a schedule capped at 40 hours per week to receive hyperbaric treatment, but the city turned down the request. She left her position shortly thereafter.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
