Spotswood mayor suspends top cops; lawyer says it's 'an outrageous abuse of power'

SPOTSWOOD – Mayor Jackie Palmer has suspended Police Chief Phillip Corbisiero and Acting Capt. Nicholas Mayo Jr., the two top-ranking officers in the Spotswood Police Department, and has threatened to fire them.

The suspensions are the latest development in the ongoing conflict between the mayor and some members of the police department, including the president of the local Policemen’s Benevolent Association (PBA), that has resulted in an onslaught of lawsuits.

The 39 pages of charges against the chief allege a litany of infractions, from incompetence and insubordination to discrimination and sexual harassment.

Both officers, who will continue to receive their salaries, have pleaded not guilty to the charges and have requested public hearings.

Lawyers for both the chief and acting captain accuse Palmer and Borough Administrator Brandon Umba of taking the action as retaliation against the officers' whistleblowing.

'Incoherent, babbling mess'

Gina Mendola Longarzo, the chief's attorney, said Corbisiero's "only misstep has been wanting to actually follow the law.”

“All of their abuses will be exposed and we will be challenging every illegal thing they have done with these manufactured and bogus charges,” Longarzo continued. "It’s an outrageous abuse of official power and the worst breach of public trust I may have ever seen.”

Longarzo said she will be moving to dismiss the charges because they were "improperly lodged."

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Charles Sciarra, Mayo's attorney, said in a statement, the charges “resemble something akin to the Unabomber’s manifesto. It is an incoherent babbling mess."

"The Spotswood taxpayers are getting hammered by this mayor and her cohorts," Sciarra continued. "This fiasco will just increase the bleeding."

Sciarra echoed Longarzo's argument that the charges were improperly lodged.

"There does not appear to even have been an investigation conducted by anyone, let alone the County Prosecutor as is required," Sciarra said. "The strict Attorney General guidelines on internal investigations appear to be an afterthought to these people."

Borough Attorney Victoria Flynn said, "we’re not going to comment on personnel matters to protect the interest of all parties involved."

In January, Corbisiero filed a $2.5 million tort claim against the borough, claiming he has been subjected to a hostile work environment, harassment, retaliation, age discrimination and defamation by Palmer, Umba and Assistant Business Administrator John Scrivanic, a retired Tinton Falls police chief.

Corbisiero alleges that he has been targeted for filing a lawsuit in 2020 with former Police Chief Michael Zarro alleging they were victims of age discrimination and whistleblowing retaliation against former Mayor Ed Seely and former Business Administrator Dawn McDonald. Zarro received an out-of-court settlement for $350,000 and Corbisiero received $120,000.

In 2020, Mayo, along with fellow officers John Fedak and Edward Schapley, sued the borough, Seeley and McDonald alleging civil rights violations, harassment and retaliation. That case is scheduled to go to trial on Oct. 15 in Middlesex County Superior Court.

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The charges against the chief include that his actions "demonstrate a lack of respect for the mayor and the appropriate authority as well as an act of insubordination."

In addition, the charges allege Corbisiero has "weaponized" the Internal Affairs Department "to intimidate employees from expressing concerns about the interactions with the police department" which may ultimately lead to police officers having opportunities "to build a case against the Borough."

Among the other charges is an accusation that the chief "failed to hold anyone accountable" for social media posts made by the PBA that were "attacks" on Palmer and borough administrators.

In all, the charges say Corbisiero has "fallen short of your duties and responsibilities" and his actions have placed the police department "in a poor light."

"You have also failed to address the countless examples where police officers under your supervision and command paint the borough in a negative light," the charges say. "Your failure to address these issues calls into question the integrity of the Spotswood Police Department and its commitment to professionalism, transparency and accountability."

'Police leadership is broken'

Palmer had previously asked the state Attorney General's Office "to assist my administration to ensure accountability in the internal affairs unit of the Spotswood Police Department."

"The internal affairs operation is broken in Spotswood," Palmer said in a statement in February. "Police leadership is broken. It should not be used to target borough police officers, borough employees and public officials."

In her statement, Palmer said she has "worked tirelessly to address abuses with the internal affairs process, end the culture of intimidation and retaliation, and bring civilian control back to the department, and have been under attack for doing so."

Palmer said her administration "will be taking immediate steps to demand there is accountability in the police department" in an effort "to build back the public trust and confidence in this department."

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The mayor's statement came a day after four police officers – James Parsons, Daniel Hoover, Osman Dikiz and Dominik Skibniewski – filed a lawsuit against the borough, police department, Corbisiero and PBA President Officer Richard Sasso, alleging that the chief and Sasso "target" any police officer "who is not part of the plot to oust the Mayor and Business Administrator."

In January, Sasso filed suit against Palmer and the borough, alleging the mayor "personally sought to stymie" his career.

McDonald is suing Palmer, Zarro, Corbisiero, Seely and others, claiming she was the victim of harassment and a hostile work environment. That case is still pending in Middlesex County Superior Court.

Last year Brittany Johnson, the borough's first female police officer, filed suit against Palmer, Corbisiero, Sgt. Nelson Nichols, Dikiz and the borough, alleging she was the subject of discrimination, retaliation and harassment because of her gender. In January Johnson dropped Corbisiero from the suit which is still pending.

Dawn Crandall, the borough's head crossing guard, has also filed a $2.5 million tort claim against the borough and the mayor, alleging she has been the victim of a hostile and retaliatory work environment.

In addition, Palmer and the borough have filed suit against the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office to block the release of bodycam footage of a 2022 confrontation between the mayor and two police officers, another incident listed in the charges against the chief.

Palmer has also filed suit against the Borough Council for hiring an attorney to represent its interest in the court cases.

Email: sloyer@gannettnj.com

Susan Loyer covers Middlesex County and more for MyCentralJersey.com. To get unlimited access to her work, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Spotswood NJ mayor threatens to fire whistleblower police officers