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New York Jury Awards $1.25 Million in Prisoner Sexual Abuse Lawsuit Against NY Corrections Officer

New York Jury Awards $1.25 Million in Prisoner Sexual Abuse Lawsuit Against NY Corrections Officer

A
Anmol Tiwari
July 26, 2024
New York Jury Awards $1.25 Million in Prisoner Sexual Abuse Lawsuit Against NY Corrections Officer

Elting v. Lassiter Et Al

Case Background

Plaintiff Deon Elting filed the Priosner civil rights lawsuit on October 7, 2022, in the New York State District Court, Foley Square Division (Case number: 1:22cv8573). Judge Paul G. Gardephe presided over the case.

Cause

Deon Elting, a 32-year-old African American man, was incarcerated at Otisville Correctional Facility in New York from May 2019 to March 2020. During this period, Tasheka Lassiter, a female correction officer, subjected Elting to a prolonged series of sexual assaults without his consent. The abuse began in May 2019. Lassiter became the steady officer in Building 107, where Elting worked as an ART facilitator. Lassiter initiated her predatory behavior by demanding Elting expose himself to her. When he hesitated, she escalated her threats, following him into a room and ordering him to pull down his pants or face false rape accusations. Out of fear, Elting complied, and Lassiter performed nonconsensual oral sex on him. This incident marked the beginning of a pattern of near-daily sexual abuse that continued for months. To maintain control over Elting, Lassiter employed various coercive tactics. She threatened to jeopardize his release date, implying she had the power to extend his incarceration. She also made veiled threats against Elting's family, mentioning she knew his mother's address. These threats instilled a deep fear in Elting for both his own safety and that of his loved ones. The sexual assaults occurred in multiple locations within the facility, primarily in the ART transitional services room and Lassiter's office. The abuse escalated over time. In August 2019, Lassiter forced Elting to engage in unprotected vaginal sex on three oc

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Tags

sexual assault
correction officer misconduct
Inmate rights
Prisoner Sexual Abuse lawsuit
inmate rights
prisoner sexual abuse lawsuit