NY MTA Terminates Polygraph Services with Dan Ribacoff’s Company as More Racist Texts Surface

By Jeffrey Augustine

Less than a week after the NY Daily News’ released their bombshell report on alleged racial “gatekeeping” at the NY Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) involving polygraph exams of new job applicants, more highly disturbing racist text messages, allegedly sent by celebrity polygraph expert and private investigator Daniel “Dan” Ribacoff, have surfaced. Prior to the Daily News story, Ribacoff’s company InDepth Polygraphs had been providing polygraph services to the MTA.

More Racist Texts, Allegedly Sent by Dan Ribacoff, Surface

DCPI has obtained more racist text messages, which appear to have been allegedly sent by Daniel Ribacoff to several private investigators in late 2017 from a telephone number linked to the Los Angeles website of International Investigative Group (IIGPI), Ribacoff’s private investigation firm. Within hours of the Daily News’ publication of the first set of racially charged texts, allegedly sent by Ribacoff, the MTA released a statement canceling all remaining polygraph examinations scheduled with Ribacoff’s company, InDepth Polygraphs.

This story came to light after a Black NYPD officer, Jonathan Carter, applied for a position with the MTA Police Department, failed a polygraph examination given by Lisa Ribacoff, Dan Ribacoff’s daughter, and subsequently filed a complaint with the US EEOC against the MTA alleging racial discrimination.

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Offensive content follows

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Daniel Ribacoff did Not Deny Sending Racist Text Messages

Ribacoff’s attorney released an email statement to antipolygraph.org after the first set of racist texts had been published on their blog claiming his client had “no recollection” of sending the text messages referenced. However, he did not deny that Ribacoff sent them.

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 Following Publication of Racist Texts: MTA Cancels Polygraph Services with Ribacoff’s Company and The Steve Wilkos Show Removes Dan Ribacoff from the show’s official website

In addition to the MTA’s cancellation of remaining polygraph services from Ribacoff’s company InDepth Polygraphs, NBCUniversal’s The Steve Wilkos Show nationally syndicated television program has removed Ribacoff, who previously appeared as the shows’ “Polygraph Expert” for the last several years, from the shows official website and Ribacoff hasn’t been seen in any new episodes since October 2021.

On November 1, 2021, shortly after the first batch of Ribacoff’s alleged racist texts were published by the blog angiograph.org, Steve Wilkos himself announced on local morning programs a sudden mid-season shift for the show minimizing the role that polygraphs serve. To date, both NBCUnivseral and the Steve Wilkos Show have not issued any official statements regarding the discovery of the alleged racist text messages sent by Ribacoff and have declined DCPI’s requests for comment.

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The Implications are Potentially Staggering for Subjects Who’ve Failed Ribacoff’s Polygraph Exams

The implications of Ribacoff’s alleged racist text messages are staggering, to say the least. The role of a polygraph examiner should be objective, without any bias toward the subject. NBCUniversal is undoubtedly aware that Ribacoff himself likely conducted countless polygraph examinations of Black and other minority guests on the Steve Wilkos Show over the years, many of whom failed the tests and were subsequently humiliated on national television.

Daniel Ribacoff and his daughter, Lisa Ribacoff, have conducted and scored countless polygraph examinations for new job applicants, not only for the MTA, but for many other government agencies, corporations, and private individuals. The recent publication of the text messages in question, which indicate alleged strong racial bias, raises serious questions regarding the validity of Ribacoff’s polygraph examinations:

1. With the racist text messages exposed, how could any entity, business, legal, personal, or governmental agency rely on the accuracy of Ribacoff’s, InDepth Polygraphs, or IIGPI’s polygraph examination results?
2. How many Black and other minority subjects, employees, job applicants, and falsely accused individuals failed Ribacoff’s polygraph examinations over the years and how many lives were subsequently affected by such test failures?

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DCPI Contacts the American Polygraph Association for Comment

In addition to NBCUniversal and The Steve Wilkos Show, DCPI reached out to the American Polygraph Association (APA) for comment regarding Ribacoff’s alleged racist text messages and their implications for the polygraph industry. DCPI spoke with Mr. Roy Ortiz, president of the APA, who stated that the APA does not comment on matters involving litigation.

The APA’s refusal to comment on Ribacoff’s alleged racist text messages, the fact that he didn’t deny sending them, and how they may affect the legitimacy of his polygraphs raises red flags. How could a national association which promotes itself as the premiere organization of polygraph professionals turn a blind eye to an alleged racist polygraph operator who may be one of its most prominent members?

Dan Ribacoff’s daughter, Lisa Ribacoff, is a Director of the APA

In the course of our research, we discovered that Dan Ribacoff’s daughter, Lisa Ribacoff, is a current director and board member of the American Polygraph Association. Given the serious implications of the racist messages allegedly sent by the father and CEO of Lisa Ribacoff’s company InDepth Polygraphs, the APA should require Ms. Ribacoff to recuse herself from participating as a Director of their organization in order to maintain a minimal level of integrity.

In addition to the recent racist text message allegations, according to the NY Post, Daniel, Lance, and Lisa Ribacoff, and their firm International Investigative Group (IIGPI), are also Defendant’s in a high-profile $50 million lawsuit alleging, among other things, Negligence, Fraud, and aiding and abetting the sexual assaults and rapes of a female subject from a 2018 private investigation the Ribacoff’s conducted.

DCPI will continue to report on these two breaking stories as information comes to light.