An individual hired as an investigator claims he was treated more like a laborer than a professional. According to a lawsuit, Ademola Bello, who was originally brought on board to work for the NYC Private Complaint Review Board, found himself performing physical tasks in the office and ultimately left due to what he described as “grotesque bias and hostility” from his supervisors.
Bello, who is from Nigeria, reported that he was essentially the only desk worker in the CCRB’s financial and strategic management department. He mentioned being asked by his supervisor to handle heavy office items, which he found demeaning.
The lawsuit states that Winnie Chen, who is the director of budget and operations, along with assistant executive director Janine Marie, treated Bello as “property,” which contributed to his emotional distress and exhaustion. He began his role at CCRB in September 2023 but moved to Chen’s department that December. In his claim, he alleged that graduates from Columbia’s School of Journalism, who are often of African descent, were unfairly singled out for physical labor tasks.
Bello expressed on social media that his experience was quite troubling and felt it was largely due to his background. Unfortunately, he also suffers from a knee injury that was exacerbated by lifting heavy boxes—a task he argues is unrelated to his administrative responsibilities.
The city acknowledged that his injuries were work-related, but Chen allegedly suggested he treat his condition with a “Chinese oil,” warning against pursuing a workers’ compensation claim if he did not. Bello claimed that when he declined this “alternative treatment,” Chen’s behavior towards him grew increasingly abusive.
In court documents, Bello indicated that he was also the only worker forbidden from eating at his desk, while his colleagues, whom he described as “non-African” and perhaps less qualified, were afforded privileges like pay raises and remote work opportunities that he was denied. His day began before dawn, often not concluding until after 5 PM, and he was also assigned duties at the reception desk.
Bello noted that he felt trapped in a situation of exploitation, highlighting how his requests for clarification about his treatment were met with, “You can resign.” Additionally, he alleged that Marie made comments implying his race was a barrier to meeting her expectations.
His legal representatives stated that he is scheduled for knee surgery next month. They criticized the CCRB, stating that despite its mission to combat abuse, African immigrants within the organization were subjected to treatment akin to enslavement. They characterized this as both hypocritical and emblematic of deeper issues within bureaucratic power dynamics.
The CCRB did not respond to requests for comment.
