Lawsuit Says NYPD Anti-Terror Cyber Unit Filled with Muslim Hate

December 5, 2006

Author: Larry Neumeister

Source: Newsday

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/newyork/ny-bc-ny--terror-biassuit1205dec05,0,1286841.story

NEW YORK -- A celebrated police anti-terrorism cyber unit became a beehive of anti-Muslim rhetoric after a city consultant unleashed hundreds of hateful e-mails saying Muslims and Arabs were all potential terrorists, a unit member said in a lawsuit Tuesday.

The Department of Correction lieutenant, listed as John Doe Anti-Terrorism Officer on the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Manhattan, said he was subjected to a hostile work environment, great emotional anguish, public humiliation and illegal retaliation.

The Egyptian-born man asked for unspecified damages, saying he had suffered severe emotional distress, mental anguish, depression, physical injuries, illness, loss of pay and benefits and loss of advancement opportunities as a member of the elite anti-terror unit.

The man, described in the lawsuit as "a proud Arab-American, a practicing Muslim and a patriot," blamed the city for failing to respond to his repeated complaints about the contractor, who was alleged to have sent e-mails saying "Burning the hate-filled Koran should be viewed as a public service at the least" and "Without Islam, there wouldn't be any Islamic terror."