$1M Settlement In Sexual Assault Case Involving Ex-Murphy Staffer

NEW JERSEY — The State of New Jersey has reached a $1 million settlement with a woman who accused a former top staffer in Gov. Phil Murphy’s administration of sexual assault in 2017, state officials announced Friday.

The settlement also includes key reforms as it relates to alleged sexual assault victims. Brennan had accused Albert J. Alvarez, 44 of Wood-Ridge, of sexual assault. The case was pending in state Superior Court in Mercer County.

“Speaking out gave me strength,” said Brennan, who was a volunteer with the Murphy Campaign in 2017 before becoming chief of staff at the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency. “My position allowed me to advocate on behalf of myself and other survivors.”

The State of New Jersey will pay $800,000 toward the settlement with Katie Brennan, while the Murphy for Governor, Inc.’s insurer will pay $200,000. The State of New Jersey will also pay the civil case’s mediator fees, which total approximately $20,000. The state will also pay Brennan’s attorneys $400,000 in legal fees.

In addition, $600,000 will be put into a fund that can be put toward a charity of Brennan’s choice to help improve the health and welfare of survivors of sexual assault.

“This $600,000.00 fund will allow low-income survivors in Hudson County to seek justice, who may not otherwise be able,” Brennan said. “We have made great progress through awareness, legislation, and the reforms in this agreement. This is just the beginning. Victims, perpetrators, all of us — we are all accountable for ending sexual violence. There cannot be any bystanders.”

As part of the settlement, alleged victims of discrimination, harassment, or retaliation will now be permitted to be accompanied by an advisor or support person while they are being interviewed by an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action (EEO/AA) investigator.

Alvarez was hired as the chief of staff for the Schools Development Authority even though, according to published reports, he was accused of sexual assault while serving on the governor's campaign. He resigned shortly after the alleged assault became public.

After the alleged assault first came to light in 2018, Brennan described the difficulties sexual assault victims face in finding justice in an interview with The Wall Street Journal. After the interview, Senate Republican Leader Tom Kean and Sen. Kristin Corrado said the details she shared "should prompt a review of New Jersey's criminal and civil statutes regarding sexual assault."

“This case — and this resolution — should serve as a beacon of hope to other survivors, to those who are thinking about coming forward, to those who have been afraid to come forward, and to those who have come forward and not received justice,” Brennan’s attorney Katy McClure said. “It is rare in civil litigation to achieve significant policy reforms, but it has always been Katie Brennan’s intention to create change. New Jersey is a stronger, better place for survivors — and will continue to improve — thanks to Katie’s commitment to change including establishing a fund to improve the health and welfare of victims of sexual assault.”

Brennan will also have the chance to make a presentation about additional proposed policy reforms to the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Council, established by the Office of the New Jersey Attorney General. Brennan and Alvarez will participate in a Restorative Justice process, and Alvarez will attend an anti-sexual harassment class.

“This is a fair and reasonable settlement,” said John P. Lacey, who represented the state. “The State of New Jersey was pleased to resolve this civil litigation with Ms. Brennan and work collaboratively and constructively with her and her counsel to institute meaningful long-term policy reforms to support survivors in the workplace.”

The alleged incident occurred in April 2017 after a gathering of campaign staffers in Jersey City, according to the Journal story. Brennan said Alvarez offered to drive her home and asked to use her bathroom and have a drink of water; but once inside, Alvarez forced himself on her.

Brennan told The Wall Street Journal she told him to stop, and she managed to kick him off her and locked herself in the bathroom. She showed how she reported the attack to local police the next day and went to the Jersey City Medical Center emergency room, and then she tried to inform high-ranking members of the governor's transition team, his administration, and Murphy himself of the assault, the lawmakers said.

Despite reporting the assault to law enforcement, criminal charges were never filed, according to reports. Read more here: Woman Details Rape Claims Against Murphy Staffer In New Report