BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Two current, and one former member of the Buffalo Police Department's Behavioral Health Team filed a lawsuit months ago against the City of Buffalo, Buffalo Police Department and Buffalo Police Captain Amber Beyer, accusing Beyer of racist remarks and discrimination at work.
7 News reported on the lawsuit in November, but on Wednesday Officer Katelynn Bolden, Officer Brandon Hawkins and licensed health clinician Erica Seymour sat down with 7 News' Michael Schwartz and discussed the lawsuit with 7 News for the first time. Bolden, Hawkins and Seymour worked together on the behavioral health team for a year, answering calls to serve people dealing with mental health issues.
"It was also disappointing, because this is my supervisor," explained Bolden. "This is who I work with, take orders from, and knowing that she felt this way about black people, so feels this way about me, it's disheartening and hurtful."
MAY 2022
As stated in the lawsuit, Bolden said it started on May 2, 2022. Bolden and another officer were watching a video of a black police officer, being pulled over by white police officers. This wasn't in Buffalo, but Bolden said it was a situation where the black officer was racially profiled.
Bolden said when Beyer walked into the room, they showed her the video.
"We showed her the video, and she stated 'well I could see both sides,'" said Bolden. "We're like there's no two sides to this, it's clearly racist. Then she says we should understand why people are racist," said Bolden about Beyer's verbal exchange. "I said no I don’t know why I would need to understand why someone doesn’t like me."
"Then she started to make the comments of, 'If I saw a black man in my community I'd be suspicious,'" said Bolden.
"[Beyer] said as a white woman we feel black men cheat more than white men, then turned to another white woman in the room and said, 'Isn't that right?'" explained Bolden, who said that other employee did not agree with Beyer.
Bolden said Beyer then went on to say that black officers cheat on their significant others, and "it’s a running joke in the department and everyone knows it."
"[Beyer] said white officers get PTSD from working on the east side," explained Bolden. "She stated black people commit more violent crimes than white people…mind you this is 12 days before the mass shooting at Tops."
"How toxic is it for people to think like this and think they're right?" asked Schwartz.
"Incredibly toxic, because we’re police officers," said Bolden. "If you're dealing with someone, dealing with an officer, a captain, a lieutenant whatever the case may be who thinks like this way, as a black person, this person showing up to your call... you already don’t matter to them so you already lost."
The lawsuit states after these comments there was a work conference that Officer Hawkins didn't feel comfortable attending with Beyer, or even staying at the same hotel, so he did not go.
"When she asked me to tell her why I didn’t go I said 'we already spoke about this I told you why I didn’t go. She said well tell me to my face,'" explained Hawkins. "I said the things you said in May I don’t agree with. I feel you're a racist, and the things you say are racist, and I don’t think you deserve this position, and she just went off on me."
Hawkins and Bolden reported Beyer to internal affairs. Hawkins gave his statement in June, Bolden in July. They said Beyer acted aggressive after that and said nothing will happen to her.
SEPTEMBER 2022
The lawsuit also alleges in late September, Captain Beyer printed out a Facebook post by a mentally unwell Buffalo woman and began reading the post in dramatic fashion, repeatedly yelling the “n-word” as it was written in the post.
"She's never read an email to us," said Bolden. "When I asked her to censor herself [Beyer] laughed at me."
"After the second "n-word I left the room crying," said Seymour. "In 2022 we still don’t understand this word has so much power, and still affects us."
Buffalo Police Commissioner Joeseph Gramaglia says when his department became aware of the second allegation in September, Beyer was removed from overseeing the Behavioral Health Team. At the end of 2022, he said the internal investigation was ongoing and should be wrapped up soon.
On DECEMBER 2, 2022, the commissioner confirmed that Beyer was suspended. Per the union contract Beyer can only be suspended without pay for the first 30 days, then payment resumes.
A City of Buffalo spokesperson told Schwartz on Thursday that Beyer is currently suspended with pay, as the case is pending the arbitration process.
"We complained for several months, and we just kept complaining and complaining and nothing is being done," said Hawkins. "So now you make up scenarios in your head as just like this admin must agree with her."
"So before the May 2 incident, have you felt racism on the job while working within the Buffalo Police Department?" asked Schwartz.
Bolden, Seymour and Hawkins simultaneously all said yes. Hawkins said for years. Bolden has been an officer for 6 years, Hawkins for 16 years, and Seymour was employed by a company that the police department contracts for their behavioral health team.
Seymour said she tried to resign, but was told by her employer to give it time. Her role was then reduced to part-time, and then she said she was fired after the lawsuit came out.
Hawkins and Seymour have been using their personal time off days, some coworkers have even donated days, as both officers fear going back to work in what they call a toxic environment. They said they have been bullied, and fear retaliation for speaking up. Both officers said some coworkers have said they cannot speak up, due to fear of facing consequences.
"It's not safe for us to return to work," said Bolden.
Hawkins has until mid-March until his time off days run out, and Bolden is out of days. She said Thursday that her Family and Medical Leave paperwork was completed, and now her unpaid leave starts.
"It's already hard being black, already hard being an officer, and it's hard being a black officer, because you don't get support from either side," explained Bolden
Bolden said she was out of work from October to mid-January due to a physical injury while on duty. On February 14, 2023, Bolden said she returned to work to find her work desk a mess, with pictures of her family face down, and a broken whiteboard. Part of her desk that had drawers attached to it was missing, she said no one knew where it was.
Bolden said she found the other part of her desk in the back of a closet, and everything in the drawers was gone. That includes her department-issued duty bag and Bolwrap, which restrains individuals. Bolden said the one person who had a key to that desk was Beyer.
Bolden said when she was told she had to write a letter to the commissioner explaining that these items were lost, it led to a panic attack. She said she went to the hospital.
Hawkins said the escalation of this situation without results has led to him having panic attacks, anxiety, and high blood pressure. He said his doctor, an ECMC doctor, and a doctor the Buffalo Police Department hires all took him out of work, but the department denied those requests with "no explanation."
The lawsuit states that Bolden, Hawkins and Seymour will settle for no less than $15 million, but they said they don't care about the money. They want accountability.
"If a result happened tomorrow, what would be the best result," asked Schwartz to Hawkins. "Amber Beyer would be fired, and there would be full transparency in the Buffalo Police Department," said Hawkins. "We're doing the right thing, but now we’re being treated as if we're the perpetrators."
Hawkins, who has been with the department the longest, said he can't recall the last diversity training within the department.
"It means a lot to me to serve the City of Buffalo, the city I grew up in. I went to a public Buffalo school, my kids went to a school in the city, I still live in the city so I am a product of Buffalo," explained Hawkins. "So it feels good to represent Buffalo not just as a police officer, but as a black man doing the right thing."
