A former city employee filed a hair-raising lawsuit against the city’s Department of Social Services on Tuesday claiming that she was sexually abused by her boss repeatedly and that the agency failed to protect her or investigate her explosive claims.
Trishana Jones, a former homelessness case worker with the DSS, filed the suit in Bronx Supreme Court, naming the Department of Social Services as a defendant, along with the alleged perpetrator Dason Noble, and her direct supervisor Myrtha Robin.
According to the suit, Noble, a DSS office manager, sexually abused Jones on a near-daily basis for three years, beginning in 2019. The defendant allegedly used “physical violence and intimidation” to coerce her into sex while inside DSS offices, and recorded those encounters without Jones’ consent.
Noble, who had the power to discipline Jones at work, also allegedly demanded that the victim wear a thong at work, and forcibly pulled off her underwear during work, according to the lawsuit.
Jones eventually obtained a restraining order against Nobel in 2022, but he allegedly repeatedly ignored that order — and the DSS kept both of them assigned to work in the same office.
When Jones reported the behavior to DSS higher ups, she claims in the lawsuit that they retaliated against her by “victim-blaming her, failing to investigate her claims, and ultimately refusing to assist her in obtaining any compensation while out on leave as a result of the repeated sexual assaults and harassment.”
Her direct supervisor, Myrtha Robin, reportedly emailed her colleagues about Jones’ claims, saying “please do not send me any emails regarding this useless matter,” according to the lawsuit.
Jones’ lawyers say she was diagnosed with PTSD as a result of the alleged abuse she faced.
In November 2022, after months of the DSS alleged failure to intervene, Jones left work saying she could no longer tolerate the abuse. She was placed on unpaid leave, where she remains today.
Noble continues working for the DSS, according to the court filing.
Her lawsuit, charging DSS, along with Noble and Robin, cites 20 different legal violations allegedly committed by the three defendants combined — including sexual harassment, retaliation, aiding and abetting sexual harassment, and engaging in “revenge porn.”
In a statement after filing the lawsuit, Jones lamented that her dream job—helping the homeless of New York—turned into a nightmare.
“For me, this wasn’t just a job — this was my calling. I found purpose in helping people who, like members of my own family, needed support,” Jones said upon filing the complaint. “New York City needs committed case workers now more than ever — and while I gave everything to support my clients, DSS left me jobless and traumatized.”
The DSS declined to respond for this story, citing a policy against commenting on ongoing investigations and litigation.
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