Neptune activists slam police sex harassment investigation

NEPTUNE - A plaintiffs' attorney, community activists, a watchdog group and others Wednesday panned a consultant's skeptical, long-secret report on two female police officers' claims of sexual harassment and discrimination in the township's police department.

"I think it’s an outrageous characterization of what was going on," said Donald F. Burke, an attorney representing officers Elena Gonzalez and Christine Savage. The two each received a $330,000 settlement of their 2013 lawsuits, along with promotions to sergeant — notwithstanding the consultant's dim view of their harassment claims.

"This is the whole idea of the #MeToo moment, these women stood up and said we shouldn’t have to go along with this (treatment) just because they say 'it's not harassment' — we feel it's harassment," said Michael Golub, a former township committee member.

The report, completed by Gregory K. Turner Investigations and Consulting LLC in 2014 but only made public Tuesday, described a litany of wrongful conduct, but said it did not rise to the level of illegality.

About one claim, where someone placed a magnet on a car used by Gonzalez that stated "I (heart shaped sign) love my penis," Turner found that the vehicle was used by several officers in the department. The video above shows the announcement that the report would be made public in redacted form.

He said "this does not rise to the level of harassment, but simply reveals the immaturity of others and undermines the validity of the allegation."

Burke's clients have sued the department a second time, alleging the sexual harassment and discrimination continued after the settlement, and renewing interest in the long-secret findings. Gonzalez left the force in April 2017; Savage remains as a sergeant.

Burke criticized what he called “the failure to take the adequate steps to change the hostile work environment, and that let the status quo remain in place,” in the department.

Gonzalez and Savage alleged in their original lawsuits they were passed over for promotions and desired assignments. They also claimed they faced numerous incidents of sexual harassment. Their complaints prompted the township to commission the $27,000 study by Turner, a private investigator. He has not responded to requests for comment.

The township, in settling the claims, did not admit wrongdoing.

GET THE BACKGROUND:

Penis jokes and 'immaturity': Neptune releases secret report on police harassment allegations

Neptune will release secret report on police sex harassment

According to the report, Savage and Gonzalez both complained that they witnessed a male police officer, identified in the redacted report as "E," place his hands in the area of his genitals, point his penis at others as if he were shooting them, and say "pow-pow-pow."

Turner determined that the "incidents regarding 'E' and referred to as the 'pow pow pow' episodes did occur" but said they did not take place as described by Gonzalez. The report said "numerous others interviewed" described it as "holding an object below his waist encouraging others to look in that direction."

Adrienne Sanders, the president of the Asbury Park/Neptune Chapter of the NAACP took issue with the report's conclusions

"As the president of the Asbury Park/Neptune NAACP and as a human being, after only reading the first 13 pages, I find the behavior absolutely deplorable, unprofessional, lewd, disgusting and it outlines an accepted and practiced pattern of sexual harassment and discrimination, within the police department," Sanders said in a post on Facebook.

She added, "There must be justice and systemic change in dealing with this matter."

The NAACP chief called for the release of the Turner report last summer, saying she was troubled by Gonzalez and Savage's accounts of harassment. She also called for the U.S. Department of Justice to look into conditions on the Neptune police force.

The township committee has remained silent on the conclusions of the report, despite unanimously voting for its release on Monday evening.

See the full report below.

Committeeman Kevin McMillan declined to comment on the conclusions, citing pending litigation. "We went through the accreditation with our police department and we presently have a police oversight committee and we’re trying to do the right things," McMillan said when reached by the Press Wednesday.

Committeeman Michael Brantley declined to comment about the report's conclusions, but said he wanted to sit down with the police oversight committee to see what next steps could be taken. Deputy Mayor Carol Rizzo declined to comment. Committeeman Robert Lane could not be reached immediately, nor could police union representatives. Department officials declined to comment.

On Thursday Mayor Nicholas Williams didn't address specific conclusions of the report, but said he would work with Brantley and Barry Colicelli, the other member of the police oversight committee to review the findings of the investigation.

"When I read it there were some things that needed to be changed with the culture of the police department. The police committee will be looking at some of the things," Williams said.

"It wasn’t a big smoking gun that everybody was assuming it was going to produce."

The Turner report has been a frequent topic of discussion during public comment at township committee meetings during the past year, after a series of Press reports drew attention to the issue.

"These things just add up to show that there’s a problem in the police department," said the Rev. Edmond Lee, pastor of Mount Carmel Baptist Church in Neptune. Lee has been one of the most vocal community members calling for the Turner Report's release in recent months, including addressing the township committee asking for the report to be released to the public.

"I think we need openness with our police department whether it’s doing a great job or a questionable job, we should always have openness so that the people don’t have to guess and make assumptions," Lee said.

"I’m happy that it’s finally released, it's apparent that Greg Turner knew who was paying for him because he kind of glossed over certain things," said Golub, who served on the township committee from 2004 to 2006.

Golub told the Press he was unsatisfied with the conclusions. He said the allegations may be viewed differently today because of the #Metoo and #TimesUp movements, which have spotlighted sexual harassment in corporate America, Hollywood, news outlets and academic campuses.

The report's conclusions were also met with sharp criticism from the attorney representing the family of Tamara Wilson-Seidle, which has filed a wrongful death lawsuit where the township and it's police department are listed as defendants. She was shot to death by her ex-husband and then-police Sgt. Philip Seidle in 2015. Seidle is serving a 30-year prison sentence for aggravated manslaughter.

"I read the report," said the attorney, Shelley L. Stangler.

"It shows a disturbing lack of respect, or even interest, in complaints made by women, despite what I read as solid evidence of sexually demeaning incidents and vulgar comments."

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When the Seidle children filed their lawsuit last year, Stangler said she would seek a copy of the Turner report, saying its findings could help shed light on the climate of the Neptune Township Police Department.

"If an independent contractor is hired to do a review its supposed to be independent and unbiased," said Richard Rivera, a West New York based former police officer and internal affairs expert.

Rivera reviewed the Turner report on Wednesday.

"The long and short of it is the underlying behavior is unacceptable and speaks volumes to the organizational culture and the accepted norms and values of the Neptune Police Department."

Austin Bogues 732-643-4009; abogues@gannettnj.com