Sixth Piscataway police officer files discrimination lawsuit
PISCATAWAY – A sixth police officer has filed suit against the township and police department, claiming he is the victim of discrimination.
Robert Wei, who has been a township police officer for more than 20 years, alleges in the lawsuit filed May 14 in Middlesex County Superior Court that he was subjected to a hostile work environment in violation of the state's Law Against Discrimination.
The township does not comment on pending legal matters pertaining to employment.
Five other officers – Jerry Nichols, Tejesh Patel, Constance Crea, Michael Paiano and Alan Barboiu – have also filed lawsuits against the township, claiming Law Against Discrimination violations.
Those cases are pending in Superior Court with Paiano's suit scheduled to go to trial on Sept. 23.
The township has denied the allegation in those lawsuits.
More: Two more Piscataway police officers sue over alleged discrimination
Three of the officers – Wei, Nichols and Patel – are represented by the same law firm, Shapiro & Sternlieb of Englishtown.
Wei alleges in the lawsuit that he was subjected "to hostile treatment in the workplace by a multitude of inappropriate actions."
On one occasion, according to the lawsuit, another officer told Wei "to squint his eyes and to call him 'round eyes.’”
On other occasions, a co-worker put chopsticks in Wei's mailbox as a prank and two co-workers wrote racial slurs on his computer, the lawsuit charges.
An internal affairs investigation was conducted, the lawsuit says, but Wei was never told of its outcome.
The lawsuit also charges that although Wei has passed promotional tests, supervisors or management "have manipulated the process and made it difficult for (Wei) to be promoted due to his race and ethnicity."
The lawsuit says Wei's job performance "has met and/or exceeded expectations" but co-workers with lower test scores were promoted before him.
More: Piscataway internal affairs probe sought after police chief lawsuit
The lawsuit also charges that the department failed to take action to end the discrimination.
Earlier this month, the police department for the third time has been accredited by the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police (NJSACOP). Only 12% of New Jersey's police departments have received accreditation three times.
The accreditation process reviews department leadership, personnel development, records and financial management, arrest and investigation procedures, weapons training and call responses.
Email: mdeak@mycentraljersey.com
Mike Deak is a reporter for mycentraljersey.com. To get unlimited access to his articles on Somerset and Hunterdon counties, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Sixth Piscataway NJ police officer files discrimination lawsuit
