The Civil Service Commission on Thursday upheld the demotion and firing of a former NOPD lieutenant for sexual harassment, agreeing with NOPD chiefs that the former head of the Detective Investigative Unit "should be held to a higher standard as a supervisor," the decision states.

Veteran officer Anthony Bakewell's unsuccessful appeal challenged disciplinary action taken in March 2025 by NOPD following the department's findings of sexual harassment against a fellow officer and on-duty sexual battery.

An anonymous Aug. 2023 complaint to the Independent Police Monitor launched three NOPD investigations into the veteran officer: a criminal payroll fraud investigation, a criminal sexual battery investigation and an administrative sexual harassment investigation.

The sexual harassment probe

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