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CPD officers Kelly Drach (L) and Rose Valentino
PHOTO: CINCINNATI POLICE DEPARTMENT
Two Cincinnati Police Department Officers Reprimanded for Using Racist Slurs Two Cincinnati Police Department Officers Reprimanded for Using Racist Slurs Both o cers had multiple documented incidents of racist behavior.
BY MADELINE FENING T he Cincinnati Police Department has been in the spotlight lately – and not for good T he Cincinnati Police Department has been in the spotlight lately – and not for good reasons. reasons.Internal reports supplied by CPD Internal reports supplied by CPD show that at least two o cers were show that at least two o cers were found to have used racist slurs while on found to have used racist slurs while on duty in recent months. e department duty in recent months. e department says it’s continuing to investigate and says it’s continuing to investigate and is considering appropriate disciplinary is considering appropriate disciplinary action. action. ough CPD has provided CityBeat ough CPD has provided CityBeat with requested documents related to with requested documents related to the internal investigations as well as the internal investigations as well as o cer performance reviews, CPD has o cer performance reviews, CPD has not responded to CityBeat’s direct quesnot responded to CityBeat’s direct ques-tions about either of the o cers. tions about either of the o cers.
O cer Kelly Drach O cer Kelly Drach
O cer Kelly Drach, who is white, yelled the slur, ‘Sand n*****!” on two known occasions while working the desk in CPD’s Real Time Crime Center in November, according to a report the department provided to CityBeat on Aug. 2. e cloaked phrase typically is used by white people against those who are Middle Eastern or who appear to be Middle Eastern.
According to the report, the incident happened on Nov. 17 when Drach was angered by frequent calls to the department from fraudulent telemarketers. Drach often would engage the callers in back-and-forth “banter” to the point of escalation, the report said.
During one call, Drach went on a verbal tirade, saying, “You’re taking advantage of old people, you’re criminals,” before loudly yelling, “Sand n*****!” e report said that senior crime analyst o cer Christine Grimmelsman – who was within earshot of the slur – immediately confronted Drach by saying, “What the fuck, Kelly?”
Drach apologized to Grimmelsman, who has two Iranian nieces, according to the report. Drach told Grimmelsman that the telemarketers were “picking on her” and acknowledged she “should not have allowed it to escalate to that point.” In the report, Grimmelsman said she did not nd Drach’s apology to be sincere.
Approximately a week after that incident, Drach engaged in back-and-forth arguments with fraudulent telemarketers and again called them a “Sand n*****,” the report said. Grimmelsman went on to report Drach’s use of the slur to two fellow o cers but said she would handle the incident herself, according to the report.
e report said that 911 call respondents could have heard Drach’s use of the slur in the nearby Emergency Communications Center. On Nov. 23, an anonymous internal complaint was made to CPD’s human resources department about her racist words. “Someone who uses this word should not work for my city. I hope you do something about this,” the anonymous complaint read. An anonymous complaint also was led with the Citizen Complaint Authority on Nov. 30 for the same incident. “ is is totally unacceptable for an o cer to say this,” the complaint read.
Drach admitted to her use of the slur during the CPD’s ensuing internal review. During her disciplinary hearing, Drach attributed her decision to use the slur to multiple issues: personal stress emanating from the pandemic, health issues with her father, the loss of two children, her husband losing his job and her eldest son su ering from mental health issues. She said she had been working with a therapist for several years to address the stress.
Cincinnati’s Fraternal Order of Police president Sergeant Dan Hils spoke on Drach’s behalf at her hearing, highlighting her lack of disciplinary history
and positive performance evaluations. Drach’s personnel le showed a history of high marks for exceeding expectations during performance reviews. Drach ultimately was suspended for seven days without pay, which she served in May. According to the report, District Four commander Mark Burns made the recommendation based on the fact Drach repeated the slur weeks later, implying that the second incident required a longer punishment than the rst. “After the rst incident where she was confronted by a fellow employee, O cer Drach repeated the phrase again approximately one week later. Taking that into consideration, I recommend a seven-day suspension,” the recommen-O cer Kelly Drach, who is white, dation from Burns read. yelled the slur, ‘Sand n*****!” on two Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval told known occasions while working the CityBeat on Aug. 2 that the o cer’s desk in CPD’s Real Time Crime Center punishment was too light.in November, according to a report the “Shameful, racist statements like department provided to CityBeat on these have no place in our police Aug. 2. e cloaked phrase typically is department. CPD is an organization used by white people against those who sworn to serve our residents, and are Middle Eastern or who appear to be actions like this are a betrayal of that Middle Eastern. mission. I want to be clear that this
According to the report, the incident o cer should have been red, because happened on Nov. 17 when Drach was our City should have a zero tolerance policy,” Pureval said.
angered by frequent calls to the department from fraudulent telemarketers. Drach often would engage the callers in back-and-forth “banter” to the point of escalation, the report said.
During one call, Drach went on a verbal tirade, saying, “You’re taking advantage of old people, you’re criminals,” before loudly yelling, “Sand n*****!” e report said that senior crime analyst o cer Christine Grimmelsman – who was within earshot of the slur – immediately confronted Drach by saying, “What the fuck, Kelly?”
Drach apologized to Grimmelsman, who has two Iranian nieces, according to the report. Drach told Grimmelsman that the telemarketers were “picking on her” and acknowledged she “should not have allowed it to escalate to that point.” In the report, Grimmelsman said she did not nd Drach’s apology to be sincere.
Approximately a week after that incident, Drach engaged in back-and-forth arguments with fraudulent telemarketers and again called them a “Sand n*****,” the report said. Grimmelsman went on to report Drach’s use of the slur to two fellow o cers but said she would handle the incident herself, according to the report.
e report said that 911 call respondents could have heard Drach’s use of the slur in the nearby Emergency Communications Center. On Nov. 23, an anonymous internal complaint was made to CPD’s human resources department about her racist words. “Someone who uses this word should not work for my city. I hope you do something about this,” the anonymous complaint read. An anonymous complaint also was led with the Citizen Complaint Authority on Nov. 30 for the same incident. “ is is totally unacceptable for an o cer to say this,” the complaint read.
Drach admitted to her use of the slur during the CPD’s ensuing internal review. During her disciplinary hearing, Drach attributed her decision to use the slur to multiple issues: personal stress emanating from the pandemic, health issues with her father, the loss of two children, her husband losing his job and her eldest son su ering from mental health issues. She said she had been working with a therapist for several years to address the stress.
Cincinnati’s Fraternal Order of Police president Sergeant Dan Hils spoke on Drach’s behalf at her hearing, highlighting her lack of disciplinary history and positive performance evaluations. Drach’s personnel le showed a history of high marks for exceeding expectations during performance reviews.
Drach ultimately was suspended for seven days without pay, which she served in May. According to the report, District Four commander Mark Burns made the recommendation based on the fact Drach repeated the slur weeks later, implying that the second incident required a longer punishment than the rst.
“After the rst incident where she was confronted by a fellow employee, O cer Drach repeated the phrase again approximately one week later. Taking that into consideration, I recommend a seven-day suspension,” the recommendation from Burns read.
Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval told CityBeat on Aug. 2 that the o cer’s punishment was too light.
“Shameful, racist statements like these have no place in our police department. CPD is an organization sworn to serve our residents, and actions like this are a betrayal of that mission. I want to be clear that this o cer should have been red, because our City should have a zero tolerance policy,” Pureval said.
Pureval said the city and interim CPD Pureval said the city and interim CPD Chief Teresa eetge are working to Chief Teresa eetge are working to review “all options to ensure that our review “all options to ensure that our policies and training re ect the values policies and training re ect the values of Cincinnati.” of Cincinnati.”
O cer Rose Valentino O cer Rose Valentino
O cer Rose Valentino is under suspension for using a racist slur while in her car on duty outside Western Hills University High School in April. e CPD’s recently completed internal investigation revealed body camera footage from April 5 of Valentino saying, “Fucking n******s, I fucking hate them.” e cloaked word in Valentino’s quote is a derogatory remark typically used by white people against Black people.
According to the report and the footage, Valentino was in slow tra c near the school’s pick-up/drop-o area. She made her racist statement after a Black male student seemed to ash the o cer his middle nger while walking down the sidewalk after school, the report says.
According to U.S. News & World Report, Western Hills University High School has an enrollment that is nearly 70% Black and more than 87% nonwhite or minority.
As written on the report, Valentino claimed she had been “a ected by her profession” and was “desensitized to racially o ensive language by music and hearing people talk in the street.” e report also said the o cer has “since sought treatment.”
Valentino has been suspended of her police powers as she awaits a disciplinary hearing, according to John Curp, Cincinnati city manager. e review process is mandated by contractual requirements outlined in the collective bargaining agreement between the Fraternal Order of Police and the city, according to Curp.
“I was appalled to see O cer Valentino display such hateful, angry, and racist language. Our law enforcement represents all of this city, and Black Cincinnatians deserve to feel safe knowing they will be treated with mutual respect. A fair and complete process needs to play out, but someone demonstrating this behavior has no place in a worldclass organization like CPD,” Pureval said in a media statement.
According to Valentino’s personnel le, her performance rating was classi ed as “exceeds standards” during the last four annual performance reviews.
In Valentino’s performance review for June 22, 2021 - June 22, 2022, superiors rated her as “exceeding standards,” the second-highest overall rating. She also was recommended for a promotion to sergeant. It is unclear if the o cers reviewing Valentino’s performance were aware of her April use of the racist slur. e CPD also provided the four prior
years of Valentino’s performance reviews to CityBeat, and those, too, rated her as “exceeding standards,” even though Valentino repeatedly was reprimanded for turning o her body camera and for twice crashing her police cruiser. Valentino also was the subject of a O cer Rose Valentino is under suspen- 2019 lawsuit that alleged she was one sion for using a racist slur while in of three o cers who illegally detained her car on duty outside Western Hills a Black realtor and a Black prospective University High School in April. homebuyer during a scheduled house e CPD’s recently completed inter- viewing in West Price Hill in November nal investigation revealed body camera 2018. footage from April 5 of Valentino saying, And in March 2020, Valentino “Fucking n******s, I fucking hate them.” reportedly was convicted in an o -duty e cloaked word in Valentino’s quote disorderly conduct case involving family is a derogatory remark typically used by members. Records show that Valentino white people against Black people. was referred to a behavioral health
According to the report and the foot- center for anger management and senage, Valentino was in slow tra c near tenced to two years probation. the school’s pick-up/drop-o area. She Valentino’s personnel le also reportmade her racist statement after a Black edly shows that she was reprimanded male student seemed to ash the o cer for “failure of good behavior” in 2019 for his middle nger while walking down showing body camera footage from a the sidewalk after school, the report homicide to members of her family. says.
According to U.S. News & World Report, Western Hills University High School has an enrollment that is nearly 70% Black and more than 87% nonwhite or minority.
As written on the report, Valentino claimed she had been “a ected by her profession” and was “desensitized to racially o ensive language by music and hearing people talk in the street.” e report also said the o cer has “since sought treatment.”
Valentino has been suspended of her police powers as she awaits a disciplinary hearing, according to John Curp, Cincinnati city manager. e review process is mandated by contractual requirements outlined in the collective bargaining agreement between the Fraternal Order of Police and the city, according to Curp.
“I was appalled to see O cer Valentino display such hateful, angry, and racist language. Our law enforcement represents all of this city, and Black Cincinnatians deserve to feel safe knowing they will be treated with mutual respect. A fair and complete process needs to play out, but someone demonstrating this behavior has no place in a worldclass organization like CPD,” Pureval said in a media statement.
According to Valentino’s personnel le, her performance rating was classi ed as “exceeds standards” during the last four annual performance reviews.
In Valentino’s performance review for June 22, 2021 - June 22, 2022, superiors rated her as “exceeding standards,” the second-highest overall rating. She also was recommended for a promotion to sergeant. It is unclear if the o cers reviewing Valentino’s performance were aware of her April use of the racist slur. e CPD also provided the four prior years of Valentino’s performance reviews to CityBeat, and those, too, rated her as “exceeding standards,” even though Valentino repeatedly was reprimanded for turning o her body camera and for twice crashing her police cruiser. Valentino also was the subject of a 2019 lawsuit that alleged she was one of three o cers who illegally detained a Black realtor and a Black prospective homebuyer during a scheduled house viewing in West Price Hill in November 2018. And in March 2020, Valentino reportedly was convicted in an o -duty disorderly conduct case involving family members. Records show that Valentino was referred to a behavioral health center for anger management and sentenced to two years probation. Valentino’s personnel le also reportedly shows that she was reprimanded for “failure of good behavior” in 2019 for showing body camera footage from a homicide to members of her family.
Policing in schools
Policing in schools e American Civil Liberties Union of e American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio has responded to the recent report Ohio has responded to the recent report about Valentino. about Valentino.“No police o cer should ever use a “No police o cer should ever use a racial slur towards a person, but esperacial slur towards a person, but especially a youth on school grounds,” Celina cially a youth on school grounds,” Celina Coming, communications director for Coming, communications director for ACLU of Ohio, told CityBeat. ACLU of Ohio, told CityBeat. is is the second time in recent is is the second time in recent weeks that the ACLU of Ohio has called weeks that the ACLU of Ohio has called out the presence of police in or around out the presence of police in or around public schools in Cincinnati. A study public schools in Cincinnati. A study by the organization recommended that by the organization recommended that the Cincinnati Public Schools district the Cincinnati Public Schools district address what the ACLU calls “discipline address what the ACLU calls “discipline disparities” that a ects Black students disparities” that a ects Black students the most. the most. e ACLU and its Campaign for Smart e ACLU and its Campaign for Smart Justice partnered with the Young ActivJustice partnered with the Young Activists Coalition to research disciplinary ists Coalition to research disciplinary practices at the school system from 2021 practices at the school system from 2021 to 2022 and said the research showed an to 2022 and said the research showed an “over-policing” of Black students as well “over-policing” of Black students as well as “racially disparate discipline” in the as “racially disparate discipline” in the schools that perpetuated the school-toschools that perpetuated the school-toprison pipeline. prison pipeline. “ e contract between the police and “ e contract between the police and the district grants CPD unilateral power the district grants CPD unilateral power over school policing, while CPS remains over school policing, while CPS remains in the dark,” the ACLU and YAC conin the dark,” the ACLU and YAC concluded in the study. cluded in the study. In response to CityBeat’s request for In response to CityBeat’s request for comment about the study and about Valcomment about the study and about Valentino’s use of a slur towards a student, entino’s use of a slur towards a student, Cincinnati Public Schools shared the Cincinnati Public Schools shared the following statement: following statement: “Cincinnati Public Schools does not “Cincinnati Public Schools does not condone racial slurs in any circumcondone racial slurs in any circumstance. CPS’ Board of Education’s antistance. CPS’ Board of Education’s antiracism vision is committed to embracing racism vision is committed to embracing racial diversity of our students and famiracial diversity of our students and families, and we continually strive to create a lies, and we continually strive to create a positive, equitable environment for all of positive, equitable environment for all of our students and sta .” our students and sta .”
Cincinnati Reds players Mike Moustakas (left) and Kyle Farmer are preparing for MLB’s Field of Dreams game.
PHOTO: RON VALLE
The Cincinnati Reds are ready to experience movie magic during Major League Baseball’s Field of Dreams game.
During the Aug. 11 game that serves as an homage to the classic baseball lm Field of Dreams, the Reds will take on the Chicago Cubs in Dyersville, Iowa. It will be just the second such game ever, with the rst occurring in 2021 between the Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees.
During a recent media brie ng, Reds shortstop Kyle Farmer said the team is looking forward to being part of both MLB history and, in a sense, lm history.
“It’s an incredible movie, and I’m looking forward to being out there,” Farmer said. “I think wearing the 1919 uniform and walking out of the corn, and after everybody watching [the 2021 game] from last year, I think everybody is pretty excited.” e Field of Dreams game is a regular-season matchup that counts toward MLB season standings like all other games do, but instead of taking place within Cincinnati’s Great American Ball Park or Chicago’s Wrigley Field, it will be played at the Iowa lming site of the 1989 movie Field of Dreams. In the movie, Kevin Costner builds a baseball eld on his land that draws the ghosts of legendary baseball players.
During the game, the Reds and Cubs will play at a stadium constructed speci cally for MLB games. According to Wikipedia, “ e eld constructed for the lm, which has been operated as a tourist destination since 1989, could not be brought to MLB game standards without permanently altering major features of the property and destroying its movie authenticity, so it was decided to build a separate playing facility at a distance of approximately 500 ft (150 m) in the corn elds.”
Farmer told reporters he had an appreciation for baseball history, having written a school report on Shoeless Joe Jackson (played by the late Ray Liotta in the lm) and the Black Sox Scandal of 1919, in which members of the Chicago White Sox were banned after reportedly throwing that year’s World Series against the Reds in order to make money from gamblers.
MLB’s Field of Dreams game is becoming an annual tradition as well as an event with some prestige and revenue generation. e rst Field of Dreams game was to have been played by the Chicago White Sox and St. Louis Cardinals in 2020 but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, the Sox played the New York Yankees in Iowa in 2021, marking the rst time that an MLB game had been staged within the state. Before the game, Costner and the two teams walked out of the nearby corn eld as a tribute to one iconic Field of Dreams scene. e White Sox won 9-8, and the highly anticipated game drew 5.9 million viewers.
Farmer said Costner’s appearance made the 2021 Field of Dreams game special.
“I thought it was pretty cool watching Kevin Costner come out of the corn and seeing, like, [Yankees out elder] Aaron Judge and all those guys walk out,” Farmer said. “And I’m not sure if Kevin’s going to be there [for the Reds’ game] or not, but that would be really cool to see him or to see any of the actors or actresses.” e Reds will play the Cubs in Dyersville for the Field of Dreams game on Aug. 11, will have a travel day on Aug. 12 and then will play the remaining two games of the series at Great American Ball Park on Aug. 13 and 14.
“It’s not going to feel like a normal baseball game … but the bases are the same, the distance to the mound is the same distance, so we’re just going to have fun with it,” Farmer said. “I think the biggest thing will be wearing the old-school uniforms; that brings a different aspect to our mentality of playing the game.” e whole experience could remind Farmer about what it was like playing in small towns in the minor leagues.
“I think this might bring us back to our minor-league bus days when we’re traveling for eight hours, 10 hours a night, going from one city to the other, like going from Omaha to Oklahoma City. Kind of like that, seeing all the small towns, grinding through that,” Farmer said.
In the end, the Reds will play to win, Farmer said.
“Every game counts for us. You know, 162 games, every game counts, whether it’s sel shly or for the team. We’re out there trying to put up numbers and trying to win a ballgame,” Farmer said. “[ e Field of Dreams game is] just a di erent atmosphere. It’ll probably make us play even better. Who knows?”
Follow the Field of Dreams game at mlb.com/fans/ eld-of-dreams.
