Michelle Herczeg, a Secret Service officer assigned to Vice President Kamala Harris, was involved in a physical altercation with colleagues at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. This incident occurred as they awaited the departure of Vice President Harris. Herczeg’s erratic behavior included assaulting a superior officer, leading to her removal from duties.
Previously, Herczeg had a contentious legal history involving a $1 million gender discrimination lawsuit filed in December 2016 against the city of Dallas while she was a senior corporal in the Dallas Police Department. In her lawsuit, Herczeg claimed she was targeted for being a female officer and treated less favorably than her male counterparts.
During the incident at Joint Base Andrews, Herczeg reportedly began exhibiting strange behavior, including deleting apps from a male agent’s cellphone, mumbling to herself, and throwing menstrual pads while proclaiming her colleagues were “going to burn in hell and needed to listen to God.” The situation escalated when she was relieved of her duties; Herczeg responded by shoving, tackling, and punching the special agent in charge.
Back in Dallas, Herczeg’s lawsuit detailed severe workplace challenges, including retaliation for reporting sexual harassment and other misconduct by fellow officers. She alleged that after reporting an assault by a male superior in May 2015, intimidation tactics were used against her to discourage seeking criminal relief. Herczeg also claimed she was barred from returning to a special crime reduction team and denied overtime shifts, which caused her significant stress and mental anguish.
Despite her claims, a Texas court dismissed her lawsuit, and subsequent appeals in 2021 and a request for a rehearing in 2022 were also denied. Herczeg’s legal battles highlight ongoing issues of gender discrimination and retaliation within law enforcement, reflecting broader challenges that remain pervasive in many professional environments.