Secret recordings and internal emails from inside the Wayne County sheriff's office are now colliding head-on with Sheriff Raphael Washington's public denials as he fights a federal sexual harassment lawsuit. The tapes, captured in 2022 by his then communications director, contain conversations that county leaders had previously insisted did not exist. Their emergence has cranked up pressure on the sheriff and revived questions about how complaints were handled inside one of metro Detroit's most powerful law enforcement agencies.
Chief of staff’s comments captured on tape
In a June 24, 2022, recording, Chief of Staff Michael Turner can be heard telling then communications director Erika Erickson that "Ray has long been a womanizer" and that "everything they've said is true," remarks that undercut the sheriff's public stance, according to WXYZ. Turner also says "he can't help himself" on the tape, which surfaced during discovery in the ongoing federal case. The recording was made while county officials were weighing how to respond in a politically sensitive moment.
The lawsuit at the center of the recordings
Former community engagement director Regina Parks filed a federal complaint alleging Washington touched her buttocks, propositioned her for sex, and repeatedly made lewd comments over several years, as reported by ClickOnDetroit. Parks says she secretly recorded at least one encounter and that she was fired in November 2024 after Washington learned of the recording. Coverage of the original filing first drew wider attention when Hoodline first reported the lawsuit.
Warnings from inside the office
Erickson recorded a June 24, 2022, meeting in which she told Turner she was "uncomfortable" after Washington repeatedly called staff "baby" and "babe," and she followed up with a July 27, 2022, email spelling out concerns she said remained unresolved, according to Deadline Detroit. Erickson says she was counseled but that no formal investigation followed. She later lost her position after an OWI arrest; her attorney says no record explains the termination.
County defense and prior payouts
Public records and court filings show Wayne County has spent more than $130,000 on legal bills to defend claims tied to Washington and previously agreed to an $85,000 settlement in at least one related matter, according to WXYZ. County attorneys have labeled Parks's complaint "self-serving" and asked a judge to dismiss the case. As discovery continues, the recordings and emails are expected to be scrutinized for what they show about whether supervisors knew of complaints and failed to act.
County response and staffing changes
The sheriff's office has called the allegations "categorically false" and described the timing of the lawsuit as a legal tactic, according to FOX2 Detroit. After Parks filed suit, it became public that she and Chief of Staff Michael Turner had a relationship from 2021 through 2024; Turner retired following that disclosure, according to reporting by Deadline Detroit. Washington's office declined on-camera interview requests as the legal process moves forward.
What the law requires
Federal guidance holds that employers must take reasonable steps to prevent and promptly investigate harassment once they know or should know about it, and an employer can be held liable if it fails to act, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission says. Whether county officials investigated or documented complaints will be central for the court and for any related administrative claims. For background on employer duties and possible remedies, see the EEOC.
A judge is expected to rule on Wayne County's motion to dismiss in the coming months, and the recordings have added new pressure to a civil case that had already raised questions about past settlements and the internal handling of complaints, according to FOX2 Detroit. For now, the fight will play out in federal court as both sides trade filings and prepare for the next round of rulings.
