The New York State Attorney General is suing the Erie County Sheriff, accusing him of failing to address rampant sexual misconduct.

AG Letitia James says Sheriff Timothy Howard has failed to address multiple allegations of sexual misconduct between corrections officers and inmates at the Erie County Holding Center and Erie County Corrections facility.

The lawsuit identifies eight different instances when James says Sheriff Howard refused to comply with directives when sexual misconduct was reported.

She says New York State has a zero-tolerance policy for sexual offences committed against any incarcerated individual.

By refusing to address these issues, James says Howard allowed these people to be taken advantage by the very individuals who hold power over them every single day.

Erie County Legislature Chairwoman April Baskin released a statement on the lawsuit.

"At last week’s meeting [of] the Erie County Legislature’s Public Safety Committee, I pushed back against Erie County Sheriff Tim Howard’s claims that reports of sexual misconduct by sheriff’s deputies and jail staff were false. I stressed that his administration’s failure to report accusations to the New York State Commission of Correction made discovering the truth nearly impossible. I want to thank New York State Attorney General Letitia James and the Commission of Correction for taking these allegations seriously. The Erie County Legislature has been working to hold the Erie County Sheriff’s Office accountable, and I fully support the Attorney General in this suit. It is a shame that Sheriff Howard must be sued in order to do the right thing, but I am grateful to have an ally in Letitia James."

The Erie County Sheriff’s Office did not have a comment on the pending litigation.