William Pepe, the only Black officer in the Pompton Lakes Police Department, has announced his intention to sue the borough, its council, and police department for allegations of racial discrimination and retaliation following his complaints about department practices. Pepe claims his career came to a halt after addressing his concerns with his union about his supervisors’ conduct. He alleges that he was subjected to a hostile work environment that led to mental health issues and ultimately forced him to resign, seeking damages of at least $2.5 million.
Having joined the department in 2015 and being promoted to the detective bureau, Pepe says he was reassigned to the less prestigious patrol division in 2021 after expressing his intention to file a grievance with the department’s union. He claims that Chief Derek Clark and Lt. Anthony Rodriguez discouraged him from filing the grievance, and he was later demoted. Pepe also alleges that Clark forced him to disclose private conversations about his mental state and warned other officers about discussing similar matters with a confidential resource within the department.
Pepe also accuses Clark of pressuring him to write more traffic tickets on patrol and threatening to put him on a performance improvement plan. He claims that he was reprimanded for giving away a department badge to a child and believes that some of the retribution was racially motivated, as he was the only Black officer in the department at the time of his resignation. Pepe describes the environment as being part of a “good old boys club” and notes the lack of diversity in the department compared to the town’s demographic makeup.
The constant harassment and unfair treatment took a toll on Pepe, impacting his personal life and leading to a failed fitness for duty test. He underwent inpatient treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder and was the subject of internal investigations upon his return to work, which he disputes. Pepe requested a light-duty assignment upon his return but was offered a position in night dispatch, which he argues was further evidence of disparate treatment and retaliation against him.
After feeling pressured and beaten down by the process, Pepe submitted his resignation in January. He describes feeling like there was nothing more he could do in the face of the ongoing mistreatment and unequal treatment compared to his white counterparts in the department. The lawsuit seeks to address the racial discrimination, hostile work environment, and retaliation that Pepe alleges he faced during his time with the Pompton Lakes Police Department.
