N.J. cop claims department retaliated over groping lawsuit

NEWARK -- An East Orange police sex crimes detective who is suing the department over alleged groping by a supervisor says she and her colleagues have been the targets of retaliation within the department.

In an amended complaint filed in April in state Superior Court, the Special Victims Unit detective claims that since filing her original lawsuit in November, she has been issued an official warning for the first time in her career, and received a negative performance evaluation for what she says was leave from the department -- taken on doctor's orders -- to deal with the aftermath of the assault.

The supervisor who issued the negative performance evaluation, the complaint says, is the same one who assaulted her.

NJ Advance Media is withholding the names of the officers due to the nature of the allegations.

The detective's attorney, R. Armen McOmber of Red Bank, said the city previously settled harassment claims in 2014 against the same supervisor by another woman, who alleged the supervisor had masturbated on her couch, telling the woman to keep the incident a secret.

The city paid out $200,000 in that instance, according to court filings.

Instead of disciplining the supervisor, McOmber has said, the city has since promoted him.

In the September incident, the detective says in her lawsuit, her supervisor grabbed her as they left an elevator, rubbing her shoulders and trying to kiss her neck before she pulled away, running into a supply room to escape before reporting the assault to her superiors.

The city's attorney later told the detective there wasn't enough evidence to issue a finding of sexual harassment, according to the lawsuit.

The amended complaint also accuses the supervisor in question of pressuring others to influence the detective in an attempt to drop the lawsuit, and harassing another officer who refused.

Since the lawsuit was first filed, attorneys said, the detective's partner has also been demoted from detective to the patrol division as a result of his association with her.

The lawsuit seeks damages from the city of East Orange, the department and the detective's supervisors both for the alleged harassment and discrimination, and the alleged retaliation against the detective and a fellow officer.

A spokesperson for East Orange did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday on the new allegations. The city has previously declined to comment on the original complaint, citing the pending litigation and internal personnel matters.

Thomas Moriarty may be reached at tmoriarty@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ThomasDMoriarty. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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