Borough administrator allegedly harassed the officers and flicked lit cigarettes at them
Keyport has agreed to a $40,000 settlement with three police officers who claimed they were subjected to a hostile work environment. KEYPORT -- Three Keyport police officers will share a $40,000 settlement after settling a hostile work environment suit with the borough.
The cops said borough administrator Lorene Wright and other town officials harassed them and threatened to get them fired after they arrested Wright in December 2012. The also assert Wright flicked lit cigarettes at them and withheld their pay.
News of the settlement was first reported by NJ Civil Settlements, a blog which provides partial list of settlements paid by New Jersey government agencies and their insurers to those who have sued them.
The altercation began after a witness allegedly saw Wright strike Detective Shannon Hyman Torres' unoccupied car as Wright pulled into the parking lot at borough hall.
When a patrolman tried to take the accident report, Wright was "disorderly" and refused to provide the officer her driving credentials, Keyport police said at the time.
Wright allegedly pushed and bumped Torres when the detective arrived at the scene and asked for an accident report to be completed.
Wright, a Keyport resident, was charged with aggravated assault on an officer, resisting arrest, obstruction and disorderly conduct. The charged were later downgraded to a disorderly persons offense, according to GMNews.com.
Torres, 41, of Hazlet, is to receive $20,000 while two other cops that took part in the arrest, Joseph M. Rendina and Robert L. Aumack, received $10,000 apiece.
Wright later served a one-day suspension and had to undergo eight hours of sensitivity training, according to APP.com.
In June 2011, she was charged in another incident with hitting a police dispatcher's vehicle in the parking lot and fleeing the scene. The case was repeatedly postponed for two years before the charges were dismissed.
Wright no longer works for the borough, according to public records.
Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JGoldmanNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
