Sex harassment claims multiply against Wayne Co. Sheriff Raphael Washington
At least four more women have complained about inappropriate behavior by Wayne County Sheriff Raphael "Ray" Washington — including peeping in an ex-wife's window and asking a woman to bend over and flash her underwear — and taxpayers have paid as much as $85,000 to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit against him.
That is according to depositions and federal court records in a sexual misconduct lawsuit filed against Washington by former sheriff's office official Regina Parks that raise new questions about an alleged pattern of troubling behavior by the top law enforcement official in Michigan's most populous county.
The documents include one deputy's allegation that the married Washington had a reputation of being "a womanizing man whore,” offer a rare peek into the sheriff's personnel file and portray life within the top ranks of the sheriff's office as a soap opera set filled with lewd behavior, adultery and drunkenness.
The complaints and concerns, some of which predate Washington's tenure at Wayne County, come from law enforcement personnel and civilians, including Washington’s former spokeswoman, WDIV-TV (Channel 4) reporter Erika Erickson, and include graphic claims. For instance, while working for the Detroit Police Department years ago, Washington was accused of placing his hand on the thigh of a subordinate officer's girlfriend and asking her to bend over and flash her underwear, according to a transcript of the sheriff's deposition filed Jan. 14 in federal court.
https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/wayne-county/2026/01/27/wayne-county-sheriff-raphael-washington-faces-chorus-sex-harassment-claims/88252877007/