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New Orleans to Pay $1 Million to Sexual Assault Victim

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The city of New Orleans has been ordered to pay $1 million to a young woman who was already a victim of sexual assault when a police officer, known for his troubling history of misconduct, took advantage of her situation. Officer Rodney Vicknair pretended to be a supportive friend and mentor before ultimately assaulting her himself.

The jury reached this verdict on Wednesday following a three-day trial, as reported by local news outlets. In a lawsuit filed in 2021, the victim’s legal team argued that Vicknair was assigned to escort her to a hospital despite his prior complaints regarding inappropriate behavior towards women. Authorities highlighted this concerning oversight.

The lawsuit portrayed the police department as negligent for allowing Vicknair to transport the victim, emphasizing that they delayed action on a complaint about his conduct, which allowed him to assault the young woman before he was finally apprehended. Shaun Ferguson, the former police superintendent, is also named as a defendant in the case.

Vicknair had been serving as a New Orleans police officer since 2007, according to court documents. He was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison related to this case. Unfortunately, he passed away on January 1 of this year.

Initially facing state charges that included sexual battery, Vicknair later pleaded guilty in federal court to violating the victim’s civil rights under the color of law.

Prosecutors revealed that during the transfer to the hospital in 2020, Vicknair offered to be the girl’s friend and mentor, often showing up at her home without notice. As time went on, he began making inappropriate sexual comments and eventually convinced her to share sexually explicit photos, which he stored on his phone. The abuse started when she was just 14 and continued even after she turned 15, according to court documents.

The lawsuit claimed that Vicknair assaulted the victim multiple times, including one incident that occurred after the police had already received a complaint about his behavior, but before he was arrested.

News outlets reported that the city’s attorney declined to comment on the verdict.