A New Jersey police sergeant who claimed he was harassed for filing grievances against superiors has reached a $50,000 settlement with the township.
Timothy Attanasi sued former police chief Rafael Muniz, former mayor Barbara Wallace, ex-administrator Robert Smith and former police Capt. Dennis Sims, among others, claiming that he challenged improper promotion practices within the department and reported harassment, but was ignored by township officials.
While seeking a promotion from corporal to sergeant, the 25-year department veteran sued Muniz in 2013 over pay and promotion issues.
That suit led to his opportunity to take a promotional exam, but even though he passed the test, Attanasi asserted that his promotion was delayed by a bogus internal affairs complaint filed by Sims.
This was one of several “unwarranted and baseless” internal affairs complaints filed against him, he claimed in his latest suit.