'The Rookie' actress Afton Williamson quits show, alleges sexual assault, racist comments

"The Rookie" actress Afton Williamson is leaving the ABC police drama after saying she was subjected to bullying, racist comments, sexual harassment and sexual assault on set, she announced Sunday on Instagram.

In a lengthy post, Williamson detailed her reasons for quitting, which she said included "Racial Discrimination/Racially Charged inappropriate comments from the hair department and bullying from Executive Producers" while filming the show's pilot and through the rest of the first season.

Later, a "recurring guest star" sexually harassed her and "the racist commentary & bullying from the Hair Dept. Head escalated into Sexual Assault at our Wrap party," she said.

Williamson played LAPD training officer Talia Bishop opposite star and executive producer Nathan Fillion, who plays a 40-something police trainee. USA TODAY has reached out to representatives for ABC and Fillion for comment.

The actress said she reported the sexual harassment to showrunner Alexi Hawley, but it "remained undocumented and was not reported to HR as promised."

"The Hair Dept. Head was fired ONLY after the sexual assault and NOT for an entire year of outward racism/racially charged language and bullying behavior in and out of the Hair and Makeup trailer," Williamson wrote. "HR protocol was never adhered to following the above reports given by me to my Showrunner/EP and an investigation was never issued for any of my claims."

She said she called a meeting with Hawley, two show producers, her agent and SAG-AFTRA union representative in June after ABC picked up "The Rookie" for a second season.

"It was clear to all present in the meeting that the Showrunner had not shared my reports with the any of the producers," she wrote. "After my initial report of sexual harassment, I was assured that the actor would be fired. I was also asked to film with him the very next day as a courtesy to the script, even though we had not begun filming the episode yet. This actor reappeared on our call sheet at the end of the season, I was even written in scenes with him."

Later, Williamson said, Hawley told her "the actor had not been fired nor had he gotten HR involved." She said she was asked to return for Season 2 and told "everything was handled," but she said an investigation had not started by the time filming began for the second season.

"I turned it down and I walked," she wrote. "Now is the best time in the world to be a woman and I have a platform so it’s time to use my Voice. Strength comes from within. It comes from Above. 'Greater is He that is within Me than he that is in the world' ❤️🙏🏽"

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'The Rookie's Afton Williamson quits, alleges sexual assault, racism