Flint cop promoted to six-figure job despite sexually harassing female colleague

A police detective was promoted to a six-figure role despite sexually harassing a female colleague for more than a year and then using his clout to cover up his abuse, which included lewd texts and thrusting his groin in her face. 

Tyrone Booth subjected Mary Buszek to a campaign of sexual harassment in late 2017 while both were employed by the Flint, Michigan police department. 

Court documents obtained by DailyMail.com show that Booth has since been promoted to department spokesman - and remains in the job - despite Buszek recently being awarded $175,000 in an internal settlement.

During Booth's campaign of terror against Buszek, she was threatened with demotion, demeaning investigations and was threatened with being fired after complaining about Booth's behavior. He then allegedly used his clout with police bosses and City Hall to cover up the abuse. 

The emergence of the complaint filing comes as the city of Flint agreed last month to pay more than $360,000 to settle sexual harassment and racial discrimination claims to at least five current and former employees. 

The huge internal settlement has since been slammed by Flint city councilman Eric Mays, who told DailyMail.com: 'The settlement will keep more facts from coming out that will humiliate the department.' 

A bombshell complaint filing obtained by DailyMail.com alleges that Flint Police Department Tyrone Booth retains a six-figure job as police spokesman - despite serious sexual harassment allegations being levied against him 

Former detective Mary Buszek, pictured, was awarded $175,000 after being sexually harassed by Booth 

Mary Buszek was subject to a year of sexual harassment - with Booth asking her to perform oral sex on him and thrusting his groin in her face. When she rejected his advances, he then waged a campaign against her by using his clout with supreriors and she was eventually demoted and suspended 

Female detective's year from hell where she was harassed by male colleague 

Tyrone Booth subjected Mary Buszek to a campaign of sexual harassment in late 2017. In that time, she was repeatedly subjected to abuse from Booth, including: 

- Through phone calls and texts asking her to perform oral sex on him 

- An incident where Booth thurst his pelvic area into her face while she sat at her desk 

- When she refused his advances he used his influence to get her demoted

- Buszek received unfair punishments, and was once investigated for being 'rude' 

- In 2018, she was also reassigned from the Detective Bureau to patrol 

- Buszek was later suspended based on an anonymous internal allegation that she 'assaulted' another officer 

- After reporting the sexual harassment, she was demoted from the force's detective bureau

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Buszek first brought a lawsuit against the police department in 2019, but details of the abuse she suffered are only now coming to light after the city paid her a settlement. 

In the court filing, it is alleged that Booth had close ties to those high-up in the force, which allowed him to remain in his role as the department's media spokesman. 

In particular, Booth was branded the 'golden child' and 'right hand' man of former-Flint Police Chief Timothy Johnson. Booth was also known as the best friend of the deputy chief Devon Bernritter and served as the best man at his wedding. 

The complaint report alleges that Booth first started sexually harassing Buszek in October of 2017, through phone calls and texts 'asking her to perform oral sex on him.' 

In December, Booth then approached her while she was sat at her desk, where he 'intentionally thrust his pelvic area' into her face. 

After she refused his advances, Booth then used his influence within the department and in City Hall to demote and attempt to fire Buszek, despite her loyal 10 years on the force. 

After rejecting Booth, Buszek 'began to receive unfair and manufactured disciplines'. One such punishment, branded 'ridiculous' by the official report, said she was investigated by the department for an anonymous complaint for being rude. 

In 2018, she was also reassigned from the Detective Bureau to patrol before she was suspended based on an anonymous internal allegation that she 'assaulted' another officer a month later, according to the court filings.

After reporting the issue in October 2019, she was then subjected to a meeting where a superior was 'mean, loud, berating and belittling' towards her, and she was told she 'absolutely should not have (reported the abuse), and now she knows better in the future.'

Following the threat that she would 'know better in the future,' the report alleges that the Buszek faced severe retaliation from the department chiefs, while Booth remained in his role as spokesman. 

The report alleges that Booth used his influence as a close friend of the department's former chief Timothy Johnson, pictured, to take revenge on the officer who levied the complaints 

Included in this is that she was demoted from the force's detective bureau despite her decade on the force, which came with a substantial wage decrease. 

Following a closed-doors vote that agreed to pay the $360,000 settlement to several city employees, including $175,000 to Buszek, city councilor Eric Mays slammed the decision for covering-up details that could have been 'humiliating' the police department. 

He told DailyMail.com: 'I didn't vote for the settlement. In my opinion, if it went to trial it would have been an embarrassment. 

'Booth is still there. I believe the settlement will keep facts from coming out that will humiliate the department. 

'I know the settlement covers up facts that go higher and deeper than Tyrone Booth, and stuff would have come out in trial that was worse. 

'People have a right to know, and facts need to come out.'  

While many of those named within the stunning complaint report have since either been voted out of their role, fired, or resigned, Booth was rewarded with a promotion. 

The complaint's emergence comes in the wake of the city of Flint agreeing to partially a lawsuit for $360,000 amid claims of racial discrimination and sexual harassment earlier this month. 

The lawsuit was initially filed by 17 current or former Flint employees against the city, former-Chief Tim Johnson, and former-Flint Human Resources Director Makini Jackson. 

City administrators told ABC12: 'This discrimination lawsuit has been public since 2019, when it was filed against the Weaver administration. 

'The allegations in the lawsuit have never been proven, and in 2020, many of those allegations were removed after the City moved to strike the most egregiously unsupported of those allegations. 

'Since other claims in that case are still proceeding to trial, we will not comment further on ongoing litigation.' 

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