• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

McOmber McOmber & Luber, P.C.

Business & Employment Lawyers Red Bank & Marlton New Jersey

732-842-6501
  •   Free Consultation
  • Home
  • Firm Overview
    • History of the Firm
    • Attorney Referrals
    • NJ Civil Certified Attorney
    • 50 Year Anniversary
  • Practice Areas
    • Business Law
      • Business Law Practice Areas

      • Business Formation
      • Buy-Sell Agreements
      • Commercial Disputes
      • Dispute Resolution and Arbitration
      • Shareholder Disputes
    • Class Actions
      • Class Action Practice Areas

      • Equal Pay Act
      • Overtime Pay
      • Tip Skimming
      • Misclassified Employees
      • Consumer Fraud Attorney
      • Data Breach Lawyer
    • Collections
      • Collections Practice Areas

      • Commercial Collections
      • Debt Collections
      • Judgment Enforcement
      • Personal Guarantee
      • Promissory Notes
    • Employment Contracts
      • Employment Contacts Practice Areas

      • Confidentiality and Non-Disclosure Agreements
      • Executive Agreements
      • Non-Compete Agreements
      • Severance Packages
    • Employment Discrimination
      • Employment Discrimination Practice Areas

      • Age Discrimination
      • Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
      • Disability Discrimination
      • Gender Discrimination
      • HIV or Aids Discrimination
      • Hostile Work Environment
      • LGBT Discrimination in the Workplace
      • Pregnancy Discrimination
      • Racial Discrimination
      • Religious Discrimination in the Workplace
      • Sexual Orientation Discrimination in the Workplace
      • Wage Discrimination
      • EEOC Claims
    • Employment Law
      • Employment Law Practice Areas

      • At-Will Employment
      • EEOC Claims
      • FMLA
      • New Jersey Division on Civil Rights
      • New Jersey Family Leave Act
      • New Jersey Law Against Discrimination
      • New Jersey Paid Sick Leave
      • Reduction in Force
      • Unemployment Compensation Appeals
      • Wrongful Termination
      • Misclassified Employees
      • Medical Leave Benefits in New Jersey
      • Work From Home Laws
    • Government Fraud/False Claims Act
      • False Claims Act Practice Areas

      • Qui Tam Action
      • Prevailing Wage & False Claims Act
    • Litigation
      • Litigation Practice Areas

      • Civil Litigation
      • Contract Litigation
    • Personal Injury
      • Personal Injury Practice Areas

      • Nursing Home Negligence
      • Product Liability
      • Uber Assault, Fraud, and Harassment
    • Real Estate
      • Real Estate Practice Areas

      • Land Use, Planning and Zoning
    • Sexual Harassment
      • Sexual Harassment Practice Areas

      • Hostile Work Environment Sexual Harassment
      • Housekeeper Sexual Harassment
      • LGBT Sexual Harassment
      • Medical Professional Abuse
      • Quid Pro Quo Sexual Harassment
      • Sexual Abuse
      • Sexual Harassment in Doctors’ Offices
      • Sexual Harassment in Nursing
      • Sexual Harassment of Administrative Assistants
      • Sexual Harassment of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers
      • Sexual Harassment Retaliation
      • Sexual Harassment in Healthcare
      • Sexual Harassment in Dental Offices
      • Sexual Harassment in the Entertainment Industry
      • Sexual Harassment in Bars and Restaurants
    • Wage & Hour
      • Wage & Hour Practice Areas

      • Equal Pay Act
      • Overtime Pay
      • Tip Skimming
      • Tipped Employees
    • Whistleblowing & Retaliation
      • Whistleblowing & Retaliation Practice Areas

      • Conscientious Employee Protection Act (CEPA)
      • Whistleblower
      • Workplace Retaliation
      • Consumer Fraud Attorney
    • Other Legal Services
      • Other Legal Services

      • Estate Law
  • Our Successes
    • Client Reviews
    • Verdicts & Settlements
  • Team
  • FAQs
  • News
  • Locations
  • Contact Us
Franklin Fire Department: 18 Year-Old Volunteer Sexually Harassed by Chief | Header Image | McOmber McOmber & Luber

Franklin Fire Department: 18 Year-Old Volunteer Sexually Harassed by Chief

Partners Christian V. McOmber and Peter D. Valenzano represent Priya Gupta in a sexual harassment and discrimination claim against the Township of Franklin, New Jersey, and the Franklin Township Volunteer Fire Department. Named defendants in the lawsuit also include Raymond Read, the Fire Chief and EMS Director for Franklin Township; Jan Verkade, the Deputy Fire Chief; and Vincent Fortunato, a Lieutenant with the Fire Department.

The complaint alleges that Ms. Gupta, an 18-year-old woman currently in her first year of college, was subjected to sexual harassment and racial discrimination while serving as a volunteer with the Franklin Township Volunteer Fire Department.  Specifically, Chief Read, who is approximately 40 years old and was Ms. Gupta’s supervisor, constantly made sexually explicit comments about Ms. Gupta’s body, expressed his desire to take sexually explicit photographs of Ms. Gupta and have sex with her, and sent sexually harassing text messages to Ms. Gupta after she left for college. Ms. Gupta alleges that Chief Read’s lustful and predatory sexual pursuit of her began when she was only 16 years old and working as a waitress. Chief Read admitted giving Ms. Gupta a tip at that time because “I thought you were hot.” Chief Read’s sexual harassment was not limited to Plaintiff, as he regularly made sexually harassing and discriminatory comments about other female volunteers as well.

In addition to his constant sexual harassment of Ms. Gupta and other women, Chief Read also made numerous racially discriminatory comments to Ms. Gupta. Chief Read openly praised white supremacist groups such as the Klu Klux Klan, which he characterized as a “charity organization,” used the “N-word” to describe African Americans, and told Ms. Gupta’s co-workers he “didn’t want to smell like curry” as a result of being with Ms. Gupta, who is of Indian descent.

 
Source: Plaintiff Provided Image

Ms. Gupta further alleges that Mr. Fortunato, who is in his twenties and was Ms. Gupta’s supervisor, engaged in a sexual relationship with her when she was seventeen years old. Chief Read enthusiastically encouraged Mr. Fortunato to pursue Ms. Gupta sexually, often telling him to “go for it” when Mr. Fortunato expressed his lust for the high school student. Finally, Ms. Gupta alleges that several other male firefighters also sexually harassed her on various occasions. In short, Ms. Gupta was subjected to a work environment that was openly hostile to women and non-white persons and in which Ms. Gupta was reduced to a mere sexual object for the pleasure of her male supervisors.

Instead of stopping the harassment, fixing the hostile work environment, and punishing those responsible, Franklin Township and the Franklin Township Volunteer Fire Department knowingly encouraged it and allowed it to continue indefinitely. Even when Ms. Gupta complained to Deputy Chief Read about the harassment and hostile work environment in the hope that her concerns would be addressed, Deputy Chief Read merely acknowledged that her complaints were “a long time coming” but refused to investigate or take any other action in response.

The lawsuit, which was filed in Warren County Superior Court, alleges violations of the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination, including sexual harassment, a hostile work environment, and discrimination based on race and gender. Ms. Gupta seeks compensatory damages, punitive damages, and attorneys’ fees and costs.

“As alleged in the Complaint, Defendants operated a firehouse where its deeply disturbed leadership promoted a culture rife with misogyny and bigotry.  Ms. Gupta fell victim to this to egregious sexual harassment and discrimination – much of which occurred while she was still a minor.  We stand shoulder to shoulder with our client in exposing this outrageous and unlawful behavior.”  Peter D. Valenzano, Esq., McOmber McOmber & Luber, P.C.

Press Coverage:

  • NY Post

Complaint

Download Complaint

Primary Sidebar

Team Members Involved

  • Christian V. McOmber
    Managing Partner
  • Peter D. Valenzano
    Partner

Red Bank Office

  • 54 Shrewsbury Avenue, Red Bank, NJ 07701
    732.842.6500
    732.530.8545

Marlton Office

  • 50 Lake Center Drive Suite 400, Marlton, NJ 08053
    856.985.9800
    856.263.2450

Newark Office

  • 60 Park Place Suite 307, Newark, NJ 07102
    973.878.9040
    973.310.5216

New York Office

  • 11 Broadway, Suite 615 New York, NY 10004
    929.566.1300

Philadelphia Office

  • 1650 Market Street, Suite 3600 - No. 973 Philadelphia, PA 19103
    267.777.7800

Footer

McOmber McOmber & Luber, P.C.

McOmber McOmber & Luber, P.C. is focused on delivering exceptional representation and responsive client service. We tailor innovative and cost-effective solutions for each matter we handle.

Quick Links

  • Home
  • Firm Overview
  • Practice Areas
  • Team
  • Office Locations
  • FAQ
  • Press
  • Our Successes
  • Contact Us
  • Awards & Honors
  • Attorney Referrals
  • Civil Certified Attorney
  • Careers
  • Blog
  • Client Reviews
  • Comprehensive Guides

Practice Areas

  • Business Law
  • Collections
  • Employment Contracts
  • Employment Discrimination
  • Employment Law
  • Litigation
  • Personal Injury
  • Real Estate
  • Sexual Harassment
  • Wage & Hour Attorney
  • Whistleblower Retaliation
  • Other Legal Services

Copyright © 2025 · McOmber McOmber & Luber, P.C. All Rights Reserved

  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Disclaimer
  • Site Map

No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.

Results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances.

Disclaimer: This website’s information does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice or form an attorney-client relationship. All content is for general information and may not constitute the most up-to-date legal information. You should consult with an attorney for advice on specific legal problems. Read the full Disclaimer here.

California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) Opt-Out IconYour Privacy Choices Notice at Collection