NYPD Commissioner Sued Over Retaliation, Lawsuit Alleges

NEW YORK, NY— A veteran NYPD sergeant has sued New York City, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch and her chief of staff Ryan Merola, alleging they retaliated against him over his ties to former First Deputy Mayor Randy Mastro, forcing him out of the department and costing him tens of thousands of dollars in annual pension benefits.

Howard Singer filed the federal civil rights lawsuit May 26 in U.S. District Court in Manhattan, first reported by Politico.

Patch reviewed the case, Singer v. City of New York et al., No. 1:26-cv-04341, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

The suit alleges Tisch and Merola blocked a waiver that would have allowed Singer to continue serving in senior city government roles while preserving key NYPD pension rights.

Singer claims the decision had little to do with department policy and stemmed instead from growing tensions between NYPD leadership and Mastro, who publicly criticized police operations and leadership during the final months of Mayor Eric Adams' administration.

The lawsuit accuses Tisch and Merola of retaliating against Singer because of his association with Mastro and alleges the campaign ultimately cost him his NYPD career, pension benefits and a subsequent city job.

One of the most striking allegations centers on a November 2025 meeting at police headquarters.

"I am going to f--- that guy and enjoy it," Merola allegedly said after Singer's name came up during discussions about his waiver request, according to the complaint.

The lawsuit alleges Singer spent much of 2025 working as a senior adviser to Mastro under a Section 821 waiver, which allowed him to remain employed in city government while maintaining his NYPD status and retirement benefits.

According to the complaint, tensions escalated after Mastro publicly criticized the NYPD's handling of protests outside Manhattan's Park East Synagogue in November 2025.

Mastro said protesters were "too close to the entry of the synagogue," that police "should have controlled that crowd more" and that demonstrators "never should have been that close" to worshippers entering the building.

The lawsuit alleges Tisch reacted angrily to the criticism.

After Mastro's public remarks, Tisch allegedly texted him: "with friends like these..."

The complaint further alleges that when Mastro later sought approval for Singer's waiver, Tisch responded that Singer was "not a friend of the NYPD."

Singer argues the statement shows he was punished because of his relationship with Mastro rather than for any performance-related reason.

The lawsuit also alleges Tisch referred to Singer as an "Adams' guy" and said she "cannot bring back an Adams' guy" when discussions arose about extending his employment arrangement.

Singer disputes that characterization. The complaint states he met Adams only once and was selected for assignments based on his experience and qualifications.

The dispute centered on Singer's request to renew his Section 821 waiver, which would have allowed him to move into a position at the Department of Citywide Administrative Services while retaining retirement benefits tied to his NYPD status.

According to the lawsuit, Tisch and Merola refused to approve the waiver despite earlier indications it would be granted.

Singer says he learned Dec. 31, 2025, that the waiver would not be approved and that he would instead be reassigned to the Bronx Court Section. The lawsuit characterizes the move as punitive.

Faced with the loss of retirement benefits and what he describes as a dead-end reassignment, Singer retired from the NYPD on Jan. 2.

The complaint alleges the decision reduced his pension by 26 percent for life and cost him about $36,000 annually in retirement income. Singer also claims he lost other retirement-related benefits, including variable supplements and future cost-of-living increases.

The lawsuit alleges the retaliation continued after his retirement.

Singer claims he secured a position with the Department of Citywide Administrative Services but was fired on Feb. 6, 2026, after Tisch and Merola portrayed him to the incoming administration as an "Adams' guy" connected to the "cronyism and illegality" that had plagued city government.

The suit seeks compensatory damages, punitive damages against Tisch and Merola, attorneys' fees and restoration of lost employment and pension-related benefits.

An NYPD spokesperson disputed key allegations in the lawsuit, denied that Tisch was responsible for Singer's termination and challenged claims that he was entitled to the waiver.

The department said the Adams administration used Section 821 waivers excessively and that Tisch ordered a review of the program in late 2025.

"These waivers were used aggressively and irresponsibly under the previous administration. The NYPD has since reined in the excessive use of these waivers and implemented an annual review process to ensure they are used conservatively and appropriately," the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson also denied that Tisch sent at least one of the text messages attributed to her in the lawsuit, including the alleged statement that Singer was "not a friend of the NYPD."

Singer's attorney, John Scola, rejected the department's explanation.

"She retaliated against Howard precisely because she couldn't retaliate against Mastro," Scola said.