The Conscientious Employee Protection Act provides a legal remedy to New Jersey workers whose employers retaliate against them for reporting instances of discrimination and harassment in the workplace. A jury recently found that the New Jersey State Police violated the CEPA when it engaged in retaliatory measures against a longtime trooper who brought instances of sexual harassment and racial discrimination to the attention of his superiors.

It all began when the trooper, who retired as in 2011 after serving the State Police for a quarter of a century, informed supervisors in 2003 that other officers were being disciplined differently according to their race. The trooper said that he was told not to speak up about these matters. In addition, he inquired why cases involving discrimination inside the department were stalled without any progress.

His superiors responded that they would make efforts to push the cases forward, but those promises went unfulfilled according to the trooper. Instead, higher-ups within the State Police retaliated against him by throwing roadblocks in his path to career advancement. Other troopers received promotions while he waited until 2009 to earn his. In addition, the department initiated an internal complaint against him that fell apart in 2005 because it lacked evidence. Later that year, the trooper filed his lawsuit against the State Police.

Although it took a number of years for his case to conclude, the trooper can feel vindicated by the jury’s verdict. The $1.06 million damages award includes $500,000 for the State Police’s failure to make accommodations for the trooper’s ulcerative colitis, which he developed because he was subjected to a hostile work environment.

Source: The Star-Ledger, “Essex County jury awards State Police trooper $1.06M in racial discrimination, sexual harassment lawsuit,” Christopher Baxter, Aug. 2, 2012.

• CEPA is just one law that employees can turn to when they are the victims of retaliation, discrimination and harassment. If you would like more information on our firm, please visit our Kingston wrongful termination page.