Michelle J. Douglass, Esq. has filed a gender discrimination lawsuit against the New Jersey State Police (NJSP) on behalf of four female state troopers. The suit brings claims of a hostile work environment endured by the four female members of the NJSP for years, including unwelcome sexual advances by a co-worker and being passed over for promotions while undergoing fertility treatments. The NJSP has already been accused of favoring straight white men for promotions. Last month, a separate lawsuit was filed alleging that racial bias had prevented black officers in the NJSP from advancing in rank.
A female officer represented by the firm returned to work on the governor’s security detail after delivering her second child. She hoped to avoid pumping breast milk in an unsanitary and moldy construction trailer outside the governor’s home, where she was assigned to monitor security cameras for shifts of up to 12 hours. The officer’s supervisor asked the first lady of New Jersey, Tammy Murphy, if the young woman could use a carriage house on the riverside estate to pump milk instead. The lawsuit states that she denied the request and relayed to the woman’s supervisor that “it was not encouraged because of optics by guests who may be on the premises.” No more than two days after returning from maternity leave, NJSP accused the female officer of several unsubstantiated workplace violations and removed her from the coveted position.
While Ms. Douglass shares the first lady’s politics and intentions towards improving women’s health care, she opined that Ms. Murphy might be too removed from the daily tribulations working women experience to appreciate the substandard and discriminatory conditions of workplaces such as the NJSP.
Burnham Douglass has served clients in employment law matters for over 30 years. Call us at 856-751-5505 or complete our online form to schedule a free consultation today. Located in Marlton and Northfield, New Jersey, we serve clients throughout the state.