Newsweek reports that Burnham Douglass is representing 17 current and former troopers who claim they experienced discrimination, harassment, and workplace retaliation by the New Jersey State Police (NJSP). The lawsuits allege instances of discrimination the officers experienced while working under the lead of acting Superintendent Callahan.
Attorney Michelle Douglass, Esq. said in the legal filing documents that the hiring and promotion rates of minorities within the NJSP is abysmal. She pointed out that around 84 percent of the 3,181 troopers employed by the NJSP are white males, despite New Jersey being one the most diverse states in the country.
Managing Partner Philip Burnham, Esq. said, “The 17 clients we represent and their respective matters show that Governor Murphy through Colonel Callahan has promoted and fostered racism, sexism, favoritism, muted minority advancement, and punishes any trooper who brings forth any such allegation.”
He continued: “The overall picture painted here is one of institutional racism and a frat house mentality, not the picture one should imagine of the New Jersey State Police, the top law enforcement agency in New Jersey.”
One of the firm’s clients, the only senior black male major in the NJSP, was bypassed for a promotion and the subject of racist remarks. Other plaintiffs in the lawsuit include two openly homosexual troopers, a white male, and a black woman, who allege they were also passed over for a promotion that was given to a lesser qualified heterosexual male. The homosexual police officers were also the target of discriminatory remarks and hate speech.
Burnham Douglass brings these claims on behalf of the troopers to remedy a deep-seated systemic breakdown in the hiring and promotional processes within the NJSP.
Burnham Douglass has a long-standing history of successfully representing employees who have experienced discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. To schedule a free consultation, call 856-751-5505 or contact us online. Located in Marlton and Northfield, New Jersey, we serve clients throughout the state.