Female officer files discrimination suit East Brunswick police sergeant says she was denied career advancement

Staff Writer

By Nicole C. Vaccaro

Female officer files
discrimination suit
East Brunswick police sergeant says she was denied
career advancement

East Brunswick police officer Geraldine Garrett filed a lawsuit on Thursday claiming she was denied career advancement due to gender discrimination.

Garrett filed an eight-count federal civil rights complaint against the township of East Brunswick, mayor and council, Director of Law and Public Safety Thomas Finn, and captains Kenneth O’Connor, Scott Mayer, John Jensen and Fred Laurie.

In her complaint, Garrett alleges a historical pattern of discrimination against female officers that ultimately led to an illegal and unjust denial of her promotion to lieutenant.

She currently holds the rank of sergeant.

On April 28, the United States Equal Opportunity Employment Commission determined that Officer Garrett’s claim of gender bias was substantiated.

A Federal Court Complaint was filed only after East Brunswick’s unwillingness to mediate the matter to conclusion, according to Garrett.

In the lawsuit, Garrett claims that she first appeared before the McCann Oral Board on Nov. 18, 1997, to be interviewed for promotion to the rank of lieutenant. She was later notified in writing and in person that she passed.

She further alleges that there were six male officers competing against Garrett for the position, three of whom failed the interview and were no longer eligible for the promotion.

Of the four remaining candidates, which included Garrett, two of the men were promoted to lieutenant.

Garrett was passed over; however, by her account, she had expected to receive her promotion in January 1999 when three lieutenants planned to retire.

On Sept. 30, 1998, Garrett claims she was informed by Detective Thomas Finn that the McCann Oral Board results were no longer being deemed valid because only one of the three board examiners held the rank of chief.

He decided that the results would be discounted; however, those men already promoted based upon those results would not be demoted.

According to the suit, Detective Finn then instituted a new promotional process in which the department’s four captains, as well as himself, would gather to discuss the candidates.

As a result, Garrett wound up ranked eighth out of eight candidates and again was passed up for promotion, she argued.

The suit also alleges that of the top three candidates given promotions via this new process, two of them failed the McCann Oral Board.

Furthermore, the top ranked candidate was not even eligible to compete in the last interview process due to lack of experience, the suit claims.

Additionally, two of the participating captains, Jensen and Mayer, had a history of sexually harassing female employees. In fact, one was named as a defendant in a lawsuit filed by a former female patrol officer, which was settled in 1993. The suit claims Capt. Jensen admitted to misconduct in 1991 after being accused of sexually harassing a female secretary.

Garrett also claimed to have been told later by two of her supervisors that she was most likely not promoted because of her gender.

Of the candidates considered for promotion the second time around, Garrett was the second most experienced supervisor. She also cited her bachelor’s degree, which two of the top three men do not have.

Garrett’s attorney, George Frino, West Caldwell, was not available for comment.

Director Finn declined comment because of pending litigation.

No court date has been set, nor have copies of the complaint been distributed to the defendants, according to Finn.