Salerno Files Reverse Discrimination Lawsuit
The City, Mayor, And Council Members Kendle and Clayton Named As Defendants
Former Deputy Police Chief Anthony Salerno has filed a civil action lawsuit, claiming the City and members of the governing racially discriminated against his advancement.
Salerno began service with the Asbury Park Police Department in July 1988. He served as a patrolman prior to advancement in 1995 to the Detective Bureau where he worked on domestic violence and sexual assault crimes, as well as working homicide cases in conjunction with the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes unit. He was named Acting Chief in 2014 and retired in April.
And while Salerno is named in pending civil litigation surrounding the police department’s handling of the June 2015 Seidle shooting and in Sgt. Marshawn Love’s pending racial discrimination case, he filed a reverse discrimination claim on Aug. 30 in Monmouth Superior Court.
The seven-count lawsuit names the City, Mayor John Moor, Council members Jesse Kendle and Yvonne Clayton, as well as City Manager Michael Capabianco. The Mayor and City Council members all declined comment.
City Attorney Fred Raffetto said the lawsuit will be handled by a New Jersey Intergovernmental Insurance Fund [NJIIF] attorney.
Salerno referred comment on the pending case to his attorney Charles Uliano, who said “The complaint speaks for itself.”
The lawsuit claims the City and three City Council members intentionally interfered with the hiring and promotional process and violated city ordinances, established laws and rules in order to satisfy their agenda of promoting more officers of color.
Salerno, 64, is seeking compensatory and punitive damages for discrimination, emotional anguish, humiliation, anxiety and distress.
The case has been assigned to Judge Joseph P Quinn but no hearing date has been set.
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