‘You Look Like a Pitch-Black Ninja’: Black Police Officer Sues Small New Jersey Town for Alleged Racial and Sexual Harassment
When Salomon Philippe was sworn in as a police officer in the Borough of Chatham, New Jersey, in November 2023, the mayor and top police brass, as well as several members of his family and friends, were on hand at the town hall to welcome him to the force.
Police Chief Brian Gibbons praised Philippe’s extensive law enforcement background and “unique skillsets” that equipped him well for the “dangerous and daunting career you have chosen,” and said among important character traits, his desire to improve his intellectual and emotional intelligence “was one of the resounding themes we noticed when we decided to hire you,” reported TAP Chatham.
Just two weeks later, according to a lawsuit he filed in Morris County Superior Court in March, a persistent campaign of racial harassment by white officers against Philippe began, starting with a retired detective sergeant, Mike Bochniak, calling him a racial slur.
In December of 2023, when Philippe, a 26-year-old Black officer, expressed excitement about his new job, stating, “I’m happy to be here,” Bochniak, now serving as an administrative assistant, responded, “You’re scaring me. You look like a monkey,” the complaint alleges.
Officer-in-Charge Joseph Crecca allegedly witnessed the racist comment, and said to Philippe as they walked back to the patrol room, “Some people are just out of their minds.”
In March of 2024, after reporting one minute late to work, Traffic Officer Brian Maher allegedly told Philippe, “You’re on CPT time,” then emphasized that it means “Colored people time!”
On another occasion, Sgt. Daryle Kelly allegedly told Philippe, who was wearing a ski mask and gloves for outside duty, “You look like a pitch-black ninja.”
Philippe submitted a complaint about the slurs that to him amounted to racial harassment in April 2024 to Captain Ralph Colatrella, and then in May filed a racial bias complaint with the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office against several officers.
Some of the officers, in response, referred to him as a “rat,” the complaint says, while the prosecutor’s office referred the matter back to the police department.
From this point on, Philippe says he faced retaliation, including being denied a promotion to officer-in charge in December of 2024 that would have come with supervisory duties and a pay increase of $60 an hour for certain shifts. His base salary was $63,916, according to TAP Chatham.
Philippe also claims that other officers filed unfounded internal affairs complaints against him and made unauthorized entries in his electronic performance record. Superior officers frequently wrote him up for arriving late to work, while other officers arrived late without consequence, the lawsuit says.
Meanwhile, the lawsuit contends that he also faced sexual harassment from a supervisor, Sergeant Michael Permison, who allegedly made at least three references to Philippe “sucking d—k” of police department administration in order to get ahead in his job.
The lawsuit against the Borough of Chatham claims the borough and the police department violated the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination by subjecting Philippe to a hostile work environment based on race and sex and by retaliating against him when he complained to supervisors and filed a written complaint per his rights as a Black man under state law.
The borough, a small town east of Newark that has a population of 9,200 that is 91 percent white and 1 percent Black, according to the 2020 Census, is liable for failing to maintain an effective anti-harassment policy, for failing toprevent persistent racial harassment and for inadequately responding to his complaints, the lawsuit says.
Philippe seeks a jury trial to award a judgment that includes compensatory damages for back pay, front pay and emotional distress, as well as punitive damages and legal costs.
In a written statement, the Borough of Chatham, which has not yet filed a legal response to the lawsuit, stated,“We are actively investigating this matter; however, we note that unfortunately, Officer Philippe has declined to participate in our internal review process,” reported NJ.com.
The borough noted its policy has been to take “all allegations of this nature very seriously,” and said it is committed to fostering a workplace free of discrimination.
“The Chatham Borough Police Department has established training and procedures to prevent discrimination and a robust Professional Standards Unit to address any allegations of misconduct,” the statement said.
The police department and an attorney for Philippe did not immediately respond to requests for comment about the lawsuit from Atlanta Black Star.