By Salma El-Sakka
A former New Haven police and fire dispatcher has filed a lawsuit against the city, alleging she endured workplace sexual harassment — including colleagues placing monetary bets on whether her supervisor fathered her child — before being wrongfully terminated after a surgery accommodation request was denied.
Lawsuit Details
Krystina Polchies filed the complaint on September 17, claiming she resigned in September 2024 due to persistent harassment, retaliation, and denied medical accommodations. The suit names the city as the sole defendant and was first brought before the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities, which later authorized Polchies to pursue the discrimination case in court.
Harassment Allegations
Polchies joined the department in November 2022 and became pregnant in September 2023. Officials approved a request limiting her workload to 40 hours per week during her pregnancy. According to the lawsuit, an unauthorized photo of Polchies jet skiing with her supervisor was posted inside a supervisor's locker, sparking rumors of a sexual relationship. The director and assistant director investigated whether the supervisor had accessed private areas of the building.
In December 2023, the supervisor allegedly sent Polchies a photograph of a poster hanging in a training room. Co-workers had signed their names on the sheet to guess whether the supervisor was the father of her baby, with dollar amounts written beside several names indicating active wagering.
Medical Accommodation Denial
Following maternity leave in summer 2024, Polchies underwent surgery for a medical condition. Upon returning to work in September 2024, she requested an accommodation restricting her schedule to 40 hours per week for hyperbaric treatment. The city denied the request, according to the lawsuit, and she departed her position shortly after.
City Response
City spokesperson Lenny Speiller stated that an administrator at the Connecticut Department of Labor previously found Polchies had left her position voluntarily without good cause, a ruling affirmed by the state's Employment Security Appeals Division. Speiller said the city denies the allegations and does not expect a different finding by the court.
