Spotswood mayor asks attorney general for help as another police lawsuit wracks borough

In the wake of another lawsuit filed against Spotswood and its police department, Mayor Jackie Palmer has asked the state Attorney General's Office "to assist my administration to ensure accountability in the internal affairs unit of the Spotswood Police Department."

"The internal affairs operation is broken in Spotswood," Palmer said in a statement Thursday. "Police leadership is broken. It should not be used to target borough police officers, borough employees and public officials."

The mayor's statement came a day after four police officers – James Parsons, Daniel Hoover, Osman Dikiz and Dominik Skibniewski – filed a lawsuit against the borough, police department, Police Chief Phil Corbisiero and Officer Richard Sasso, alleging that the chief and Sasso "target" any police officer "who is not part of the plot to oust the Mayor and Business Administrator."

That lawsuit came two days after Corbisiero filed a tort claim that he is intending to sue the borough, Palmer and other officials for $2.5 million because "of the continuous course of unchecked and rampant wrongdoings being committed" by Palmer, Business Administrator Brandon Umba and Assistant Business Administrator John Scrivanic.

Last month Sasso, who is also the president of the local PBA, filed suit against Palmer and the borough, alleging the mayor "personally sought to stymie" his career.

More: Why has Spotswood's mayor gone to court to have police bodycam footage destroyed?

In her statement, Palmer said she has "worked tirelessly to address abuses with the internal affairs process, end the culture of intimidation and retaliation, and bring civilian control back to the department, and have been under attack for doing so."

Palmer said her administration "will be taking immediate steps to demand there is accountability in the police department" in an effort "to build back the public trust and confidence in this department."

The mayor vowed that she will not be distracted by "false and misleading accusations" against her.

"The good, honest police officers in our department deserve more," she said.

'Puppet' of the chief

The most recent lawsuit filed in Middlesex County Superior Court alleges that the chief, Sasso and Acting Capt. Nicholas Mayo, who is not named as a defendant, have "factionalized" the department in a "personal vendetta" against Palmer and Umba.

The lawsuit says Sasso is "the puppet" of the chief and Mayo and alleges that Sasso receives more overtime than other officers "at the expense of other officers."

In one year, the lawsuit says, Sasso received total pay of $186,781 which included a base salary of $90,838 and overtime pay of $95,943.

The four officers' lawsuit focuses on efforts by the chief and Mayo to have Sasso promoted to sergeant, opposition to changes to the promotion process by Parsons and Hoover and Sasso's behavior toward Dikiz and Skibniewski.

The lawsuit alleges that since he started as a dispatcher, Dikiz, the only Islamic officer in the department, has suffered intimidation, harassment, racial and religious discrimination, unlawful use of force and threats of deadly force by Sasso.

One time, the lawsuit charges, Sasso attempted to push Dikiz's head into a toilet.

Another time, the lawsuit alleges, Sasso placed a Taser to Dikiz's temple. Sasso was the department's taser instructor.

The incident was reported to Mayo, but no internal affairs investigation followed, creating "an intimidating and toxic environment within the department," according to the lawsuit.

Sasso has also "routinely" mocked Dikiz's religion and ethnicity, saying that he uses his overtime pay to fund Isis, the lawsuit says.

A Polish flag and religious pendant

Skibniewski also alleges he was the subjected to intimidation, threats, harassment and discrimination by Sasso.

According to the lawsuit, Sasso took a miniature Polish flag that Skibniewski, a first-generation Polish American, kept on his locker and posted it above a toilet, took a picture of it and texted it to Skibniewski.

In addition to mocking Skibniewski's Polish accent, the lawsuit says, Sasso removed a religious pendant on the outside of his locker. Skibniewski prayed to the pendant before each shift for his safety.

Sasso said he removed the pendant because of an OSHA inspection, but the lawsuit alleges it was removed after Skibniewski was called as a witness in an investigation of Sasso.

Eventually, the lawsuit says, Skibniewski received an official write-up about keeping the pendant on the locker ordered by Mayo. The officer then sent a letter of protest, saying his religious rights were being denied.

Spotswood lawsuits keep piling up

The latest lawsuit has been filed as tensions have reached a fever pitch in the department which serves the 2.4-square-mile borough with a population of 8,000.

Corbisiero alleges that he has been targeted for filing a lawsuit in 2020 with former Police Chief Michael Zarro alleging they were victims of age discrimination and whistleblowing retaliation against former Mayor Ed Seely and former Business Administrator Dawn McDonald. Zarro received an out-of-court settlement for $350,000 and Corbisiero received $120,000.

McDonald is suing Palmer, Zarro, Corbisiero, Seely and others, claiming she was the victim of harassment and a hostile work environment. That case is heading to trial on May 28.

Last year Brittany Johnson, the borough's first female police officer, filed suit against Palmer, Corbisiero, Sgt. Nelson Nichols, Dikiz and the borough, alleging she was the subject of discrimination, retaliation and harassment because of her gender. That suit is still pending.

Also still pending is a lawsuit filed by officers John Fedak, Mayo and Edward Scharpley in June 2020 against McDonald, the former business administrator, Seeley, the former mayor, and the borough, alleging they were the victims of a hostile work environment, harassment and retaliation.

Dawn Crandall, the borough's head crossing guard, has also filed a $2.5 million tort claim against the borough and the mayor, alleging she has been the victim of a hostile and retaliatory work environment.

In addition, Palmer and the borough have filed a suit against the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office to block the release of body camera footage of an 2022 confrontation between the mayor and two police officers.

Email: mdeak@mycentraljersey.com

Mike Deak is a reporter for mycentraljersey.com. To get unlimited access to his articles on Somerset and Hunterdon counties, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Spotswood NJ mayor asks AG for help as another lawsuit wracks borough