Borough settles suit brought by ex-cop

Retired Patrol Officer William Nathan will receive $55,000 in borough funds as well as additional money from insurance carriers.

By: Jennifer Potash
   Princeton Borough has settled the case with a retired police officer who won a jury verdict on his claim that he was discriminated against on the basis of his ethnicity by his superiors and co-workers.
   Under the settlement, the borough will pay $55,000 to former Patrol Officer William Nathan, 46, of Lawrence. In addition, Mr. Nathan will receive an unspecified sum from the borough’s insurance carriers.
   In March, a jury awarded Mr. Nathan $270,000 after a two-month trial.
   Steven Goodell, the attorney for the borough, filed a motion in April asking Mercer County Superior Court Judge Paulette Sapp-Peterson to set aside the jury’s verdict and requested a new trial.
   Judge Sapp-Peterson met with Mr. Goodell and Brian Cige, attorney for Mr. Nathan, in chambers July 24. Following the meeting, the parties agreed to work out an out-of-court settlement.
   The Borough Council voted 3-0 to approve the resolution Tuesday. Councilman Roger Martindell abstained, citing a conflict of interest.
   Council President Mildred Trotman and Councilman David Goldfarb were absent from the meeting.
   Mr. Martindell asked if the council’s Public Safety Committee would "review the issues that arose out of this and address them." Mayor Reed said the committee would likely do so, adding that the Police Department has undergone changes since the period when Mr. Nathan’s complaints occurred.
   Mr. Nathan, who was born in India, was hired by the department in 1977 and retired in 1999. During his career, he was promoted to detective, officer-in-charge and communications officer, but each time he was demoted to patrolman after receiving negative reviews.
   He claimed in his 1997 lawsuit that the demotions were because of discrimination based on his ethnicity. He filed the lawsuit after he was not promoted to sergeant in 1996.
   Then-police Chief Thomas Michaud and other supervising officers testified that Mr. Nathan’s lack of progress in the department was due to unsatisfactory performance.
   Mr. Cige said his client is pleased with the settlement.
   "Bill Nathan is happy there will not be an appeal and he can get on with his retirement and that the municipality can address the serious issues raised during the trial," Mr. Cige said.