MOUNTAINSIDE, NJ — Days after two Mountainside police officers were put on administrative leave following an explosive lawsuit, the chief has also been placed on leave, sources confirm.

Police Chief Allan Attanasio was placed on paid leave as of Sunday, according to Mountainside Mayor Paul Mirabelli. Attanasio joins officers Andrew Huber and Thomas Murphy, who had been placed on paid-leave since last week after a lawsuit was filed by several of their coworkers accusing them of crude misconduct going back decades.



Lt. Joseph Giannuzzi has been put in charge of the police department during the borough's internal review of the lawsuit. Additionally, Mirabelli and the council announced that the Union County Prosecutor's Office have opened a new investigation into the allegations named in the lawsuit.

"At this time, we ask for your patience as we complete our investigation and we cooperate with the Union County Prosecutor in their investigation," a statement from the borough read. The lawsuit was filed last week by Christopher Feighner, Richard Latargia, Thomas Norton, Jeffrey Stinner, and James Urban, as well as a part-time employee, Amy Colineri. It alleges the department was a "hostile work environment" in which Huber and Murphy would throw around sex toys, abuse people in sexual ways, and expose themselves. (See Related: NJ 'Cop Of The Year' Harassed Coworkers With Dildo: Lawsuit)

It also alleges that Attanasio knew of this activity, took no corrective action and even participated.

In May 2016, Huber allegedly chased Mountainside Fire Chief Anthony Pecorelli around police headquarters with Big Blue; Police Chief Allan Attanasio shouted "get him" and "put it in his mouth" while Murphy recorded it, according to the lawsuit.

A video of Huber smacking a dispatcher with the dildo was obtained by NJ.com. You can see it here. The lawsuit claims Murphy would ram his flashlight in other officers' rear areas, and that he also exposed his testicles, even putting them on other officers' food and drinks. He would take photographs of his testicles on other people's objects in the department, the lawsuit says.