“You Was Fucking the Enemy Forreal:" CPD Captain Investigated for Alleged Discrimination in Audio Recording

A Cincinnati Police Department district captain is “traumatized” after an audio recording of what appears to be a private conversation was sent to her superiors.

District 2 Capt. Danita Pettis has been temporarily reassigned pending an investigation by the city after allegations were raised that she used derogatory comments toward another officer, according to public records obtained by CityBeat.

What’s on the tape?

In an audio recording released by the department, a woman can be heard cursing and raising her voice to at least one other person who cannot be heard on the tape. The speaker in the recording makes references to an officer trading sex with male superiors for favorable treatment at work.

The audio appears to be edited and is possibly a recording of a recording, making its origins and context murky. Below is a list of notable sentences heard in the recording:

• “You was fucking the enemy forreal. And he was calling you n-words in your damn face and you went on and had his baby."
• “You been fucking white men since you came on the department. That’s how you fucked to get off FTO status, over there fucking Paul Neudigate in District 3 with your motherfucking monkey ass was still on FTO status.”
• “Everybody knows about that bullshit, she was fucking Neudigate when she was on FTO status. That’s how she got off FTO status."

Listen to the complete recording here:
It is unclear if the person in the recording is Pettis. CityBeat reached out to Pettis for comment on the allegations but did not hear back by press time. Speaking on her behalf, CPD Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) union president Dan Hils told CityBeat it’s clear the conversation was meant to be private.

“She is traumatized,” Hils told CityBeat. “It sounds like somebody venting as though they’re talking to a friend.”

Hils wants Pettis off the bench

Because the officer who sent the tape to the city is an FOP member, Hils did not tell CityBeat her name, but said she does not work or live in District 2 where Pettis is in charge. He said there was no reason to temporarily transfer Pettis from her position to CPD’s Records Section during the investigation.

“What is the purpose, other than punitive, of taking Capt. Pettis out of District 2? How would this protect this employee?”

In a statement provided to CityBeat, CPD Chief of Police Teresa Theetge said the investigation process is playing out routinely.

“As the Police Chief, it is my duty and responsibility to ensure that any allegation of misconduct by any member of this organization is thoroughly investigated, regardless of the circumstances,” Theetge said. “Immediately when this allegation was brought to my attention, this matter was referred to our City of Cincinnati Human Resources Department for investigation.”

On the comments made in the audio recording, Theetge said, no matter who they are talking to, all CPD employees are expected to act respectfully.

“I will say this, there is no difference in the level of expected behavior that CPD personnel must display towards those we serve versus how we treat our very own peers and colleagues. It is my expectation that members of this organization will treat one another with the utmost respect and professionalism.”

City Manager Sheryl Long said the city is investigating potential violations of Administrative Regulation 25 and 55, which pertain to workplace discrimination.

“I am committed to addressing the culture within our City departments and ensuring every employee feels safe and welcome at work. Chief Theetge and I are dedicated to investigating all alleged Administrative Regulation 25 and 55 violations.”

Hils calls sabotage

While a lot is unclear about the tape, including when it was recorded and who was on the other end of the conversation, Hils said the timing of its release tells a bigger story.

“Its timing is suspicious at the least, if not far worse than that,” Hils said. “Pettis had just gone through an interview for what would be one of the most important career steps of her life. She is trying to become an assistant chief."

Pettis was on the precipice of what Hils described as “the most important promotion of her career” when she was reassigned from District 2 to the records section pending the outcome of the investigation. Hils said the timing points to an obvious targeted attack.

“This is the equivalent of a political hit,” Hils said. “If somebody doesn’t think that they’re the best for the job then simply voice your opinion somewhere where you’re allowed to voice your opinion.”

The politics of Pettis

In 2019, Danita Pettis became the second-ever Black female captain of any CPD district. In January 2022, she also started to lead the Sentinel Police Association. The Sentinels is an organization that supports Black officers and civilians and serves as a watchdog for minority interests within the department.

In an interview with CityBeat for the May 17 print issue, Pettis said the Sentinels, which has approximately 200 members, offers career coaching to Cincinnati officers who are trying to climb the ranks.

CPD’s overall force is 27.5% Black — a ratio that remains relatively consistent across the city’s five districts. That’s far below the city’s Black population, which the census puts at 40.3%. And Pettis told CityBeat the ratio is abysmal for higher-ranking officers, like those in the Investigations Bureau.

Pettis told CityBeat she brought up the hiring disparities to Theetge after she was sworn in as the city’s first female police chief in January. Pettis said Theetge was receptive to the concern, but didn’t have a solution in the moment.

The department did not comment on the likelihood of Pettis being promoted now that this investigation is underway, but Hils fears her chances may be shot after the release of the tape.

“I hate to say it, but I fear they’ve already accomplished what they wanted. They made it very difficult for anybody to select her as Cincinnati’s next assistant police chief,” Hils said. “If that was done because someone wanted her out of the way and pulled these shenanigans, that pisses me off.”