In September 2019, Officer Joseph Tougas was accused in a federal lawsuit of racially charged sexual harassment towards a former Central Falls dispatcher. Allegations included sending sexually explicit texts, making inappropriate comments about her preferences, and referring to his police baton using a racial slur. The dispatcher, hired in 2011, went on sick leave in 2017 due to a hostile work environment and was terminated in March 2019. Tougas denied the accusations in February 2020. The lawsuit also named other officers and city officials, alleging a failure to address the harassment. ([wpri.com](https://www.wpri.com/target-12/ri-college-hired-cop-facing-sexual-harassment-claim/?utm_source=openai))
[Return to blog post](https://watchaudits.com/joseph-tougas-central-falls-police-department/)
.
