Nurse Accuses Federal Security Officer of Rape at Work, Sues US Government
According to a federal lawsuit, Ryan Gonzalez, who was employed by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, allegedly used surveillance cameras to track a nurse's movements within the premises before restraining and sexually assaulting her in 2022.
The lawsuit filed on Wednesday in the U.S. District Court of Colorado names both the security officer and the United States government as defendants.
The nurse, a contractor for the U.S. Mint, name has not been publicly released.
Abuse of Authority and Access
The lawsuit alleges that Gonzalez abused his authority and access to security systems to track the nurse throughout the facility. He proceeded to restrain and rape her while she was stocking supplies in a health supply room.
The nurse reported that Gonzalez had previously made “repeated unwanted advances and a series of sexual assaults” and that she had to push him away from her.
According to the lawsuit, this was not Gonzalez’s first accusation of sexual assault in the workplace. “The U.S. Mint paid a settlement of about $100,000 to Officer Gonzalez’s minor female victim and also offered to pay her college tuition,” after Gonzales acted inappropriately with a teenage intern at the Mint.
Termination and Legal Proceedings
In a statement to The Post, U.S. Mint officials confirmed that Gonzalez was terminated from his position last year.
“While we cannot comment on the ongoing litigation, ensuring the safety of our employees is a top priority. We take issues of sexual misconduct and assault extremely seriously,” said Mint officials.
The lawsuit has sparked outrage and raised urgent questions about the adequacy of security measures and employee screening processes at the Denver Mint.
