DETROIT (WXYZ) — The embattled police chief of the Wayne County Community College District, accused by at least six women of sexual harassment, has resigned.
Darrick Muhammad had been led the department's police force for more than a decade. His resignation, confirmed today by a WCCCD spokeswoman, took effect over the weekend.
“We can confirm that WCCCD Chief (Darrick Muhamad) submitted his resignation Saturday, July 9, 2022," said spokeswoman Tina Bassett. "Since this is a personnel matter, and we are engaged in pending (litigatoin), we are constrained from discussing the matter. Consequently, we are not able to provide any more information."
No reason for Muhammad's resignation was provided. Reached by phone today, Muhammad said he had no comment.
RELATED: Accused by 6 women of sexual harassment, WCCCD’s police chief remains on the job
The allegations against him are contained in court records, at least a dozen sworn affidavits, internal college e-mails and outside investigations.
Just last week, two current WCCCD employees—Bonita Carey-Powers and Alexis Holmes—sued the college, alleging the Muhammad harassed them, too.
7 Action News is not naming the other alleged victims without their permission.
One female officer who filed an affidavit said that Muhammad would call her to his house on campus, then answer the door in only a bathrobe “and his private parts…visible.”
She says she was “sexually harassed” repeatedly, ultimately resigning because of it.
Another accuser is Regina Bonner, who worked for the college beginning in 2018 and is currently suing the college.
“The chief initially started by complimenting her appearance,” said her attorney Shawn Head. “He escalated by inviting her over to his house. Asking her to sleep with him…she rebuffed his advances, and she was retaliated against.”
Bonner claims in her 2020 lawsuit that she was fired, and her fiancé later arrested, for reporting the chief’s sexual harassment. The college denies the charges and litigation is still ongoing.
A different accuser claimed that he “caressed her hair and face,” even after she told him to stop, asking “about her relationship status,” told her she needed a “sugar daddy” and kept a photo of her and her then-boyfriend where he “erased” the boyfriend from the image.
An internal investigation found the chief “displayed poor judgment”, "violated...professional standards” but did not commit sexual harassment.
That employee entered into a confidential settlement with the college, paid over $41,600 in exchange for her silence. The chief participated in anti-harassment training as a result of the settlement.
Multiple other employees, in interview or affidavits, said they were tasked with running personal errands for the chief, too.
“Hey, I need you to go get me a pizza,” recalled Zevan Lejeune, a former WCCCD officer. “Or I need you to go put gas in my car or I need you to go put gas in the chancellor’s wife’s car.”
Anita Akbar was an officer for four years and recalled when she was pulled from patrolling campus to watch the chief’s house while he had a generator installed.
“Whatever the chief wanted,” Akbar said, “chief got.”
RELATED: Ex-officers: WCCCD police bosses sent us on food runs, told us to change reports
Under oath, one former officer says she was tasked with picking up Muhammad’s dry cleaning and groceries. Another ex-officer said under oath that he was called twice by the chief just to remove women from his on-campus home.
Other requests were more troubling.
In affidavits, at least four former officers say that they were asked by superiors to change crime statistics or police reports, or not write them at all.
Former officer Richard Meredith recalled an arrest in 2018 when officers responded to an unruly man on the college’s Downriver Campus. Meredith said he had to use force, pulling the man from his vehicle and then handcuffing him.
“I got with the lieutenant and said, ‘I know I need to do a use of force.’ He said, ‘No paperwork. You’re good.’ I said, ‘Lieutenant, I put my hands on him, I need to do a use of force.’ He said, 'Nope, you’re good.' And he designated another officer was going to do the reports,” Meredith said.
But more than a year later, the college was sued by the man Meredith helped arrest, now claiming excessive force.
That’s when Meredith says his supervisors wanted him to write the report he was first told not to more than a year earlier.
“They wanted me to backdate it,” Meredith said. “I told them I couldn’t do it… I got integrity, and there’s no way that I could write a report stating this is what happened when I don’t even have that kind of confidence in, OK, this is what went on.”
According to WCCCD, Deputy Chief Bahrija "Buck" Livadic has assumed the position of chief.
Contact 7 Investigator Ross Jones at ross.jones@wxyz.com or at (248) 827-9466.