An openly gay former New Jersey police officer who alleged his superiors and fellow officers retaliated against and harassed him has settled his federal lawsuit.
Robert Colle, a former officer in Millville, N.J., agreed to a settlement that stipulated he resign from the force and receive a payment of $415,000.
Colle filed the suit in October 2007 and has been on leave from the police force since earlier that year.
Named in the suit as defendants are the City of Millville, former police chief Ronald Harvey, Lt. Thomas Romanishin and Sgts. Edward Zadroga and Les Watson.
Colle joined the Millville Police Department in January 1994.
The suit alleges the employment issues began in spring 2006 when Colle observed Zadroga meeting numerous times during working hours with an unidentified woman, with whom Colle surmised he was having an affair.
Colle claims the work atmosphere became hostile after this discovery, with Zadroga disciplining him for matters such as where he parked his car, when he wore his hat and how he wrote his reports.
Colle got into an argument with Zadroga in November 2006, after which he felt ill and said Zadroga offered no medical assistance, resulting in Colle’s calling 911 on his own and spending eight hours in an emergency room.
Colle filed a harassment complaint one week later with the City Clerk, and Romanishin was assigned to investigate. The suit maintains Romanishin has a history of making antigay statements.
The suit also states that in February, Colle repeatedly called for back-up to a local bar, where he was attempting to subdue an uncooperative woman, but no other officers arrived. The woman bit Colle’s finger to the bone.
Colle alleges the defendants targeted him as the “fall guy” for any departmental mistakes, and that his superiors “ignored and rebuked” his complaints.
Colle went out on Family Medical Leave in May 2007 due to the “hostile work environment.”
Under the terms of the agreement, none of the defendants admitted culpability, but the parties agreed upon it “only to avoid the continuing expense and distraction of litigation.”
Colle’s attorney, Arthur J. Murray of Jacobs & Barbone, P.A., said his client is satisfied with the settlement and “wanted to put all this behind him and get on with his life.”
Murray said Colle will not be returning to the law-enforcement field but currently owns a real-estate company with his partner, and is considering moving to Florida to continue his real-estate work or enter the teaching field.
The bulk of the payout, $400,000, will be dispersed to Colle through the Municipal Excess Liability Joint Insurance Fund, which covers “emotional distress, pain and suffering, legal or equitable relief, back pay, front pay, loss of benefits” and numerous other claims. The remaining $15,000 will be paid from the Workers Compensation Act for “psychiatric, psychological or other bodily injury.”
The city is responsible for approximately $30,000 of the settlement.
In exchange, Colle agreed to waive his rights to employment benefits accrued since he took his leave, and neither side will receive compensation for attorney fees.
Jen Colletta can be reached at [email protected].