NYPD Civilian Complaint Review Board Employee Sues Over Workplace Abuse and Discrimination

An employee of the NYC Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB), Ademola Bello, has filed a lawsuit alleging he was subjected to forced manual labor, discrimination, and harassment fueled by racial bias. Bello, who was hired as a civilian investigator, claims he was repeatedly asked to perform physically demanding tasks incompatible with his role, such as moving furniture and heavy supplies, often exceeding his physical capacity.

In early 2025, Bello sustained a knee injury while lifting a large box at work. Although the injury was acknowledged as work-related, he reports being pressured by supervisors to forego filing a worker’s compensation claim and to seek unconventional herbal remedies instead. His refusal allegedly worsened the abuse, with supervisors escalating their mistreatment.

Bello, who is Nigerian-born and a Columbia Journalism School graduate, asserts he faced unequal treatment compared to colleagues, with restrictions on desk privileges, denial of pay raises, and the inability to work remotely. Unlike his less qualified peers, he was also asked to cover reception duties and was regularly required to start work before sunrise and stay late, often not being paid for overtime hours.

The lawsuit highlights incidents of racial bias, claiming Bello was singled out because of his African heritage. He alleges that supervisors treated him like “property,” and after questioning their demands, was implicitly told to resign if he didn’t comply. Bello maintains that he was never allowed to eat at his desk, unlike other staff members, and faced discrimination in pay and job flexibility requests.

His attorney, Bennitta Joseph, announced that Bello is scheduled for knee surgery next month. Joseph condemned the treatment Bello endured, describing it as “modern-day servitude” enforced by “bureaucrats drunk on power and bigotry.”

The CCRB, along with the involved supervisors, has not responded to requests for comment.