Disabled Morris Co. Sheriff’s Officer Denied Retirement Badge, Suit Says

MORRIS COUNTY, NJ — A former Morris County Sheriff’s officer who was hurt on the job says he was denied the retirement plan he was entitled to, according to a recently filed lawsuit.

Robert Nielsen says that the Morris County Sheriff’s Office refused to issue him a retired law enforcement identification card and retirement shield after he retired on an ordinary disability pension following an on-duty injury.

According to the lawsuit, Neilsen suffered a knee injury while “subduing an unruly inmate.”

After the injury, on March 1, 2025, Neilsen retired with an ordinary disability pension.

Nielsen says the Sheriff's Office unlawfully refused to issue him a retired law enforcement identification card and retirement shield, which, among other things, would allow him to carry a concealed firearm and hold a badge proving he is retired police.

He says he was treated differently after his injury, and was not barred from filing a Retirement Shield Request Form as a result.

Furthermore, Nielsen argues that his denial of a retired law enforcement identification card and retirement shield violates the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act (LEOSA), a federal law that allows qualified active and retired law enforcement officers to carry concealed firearms nationwide, subject to certain exceptions.

Nielsen and the Morris County Sheriff's Lodge #137 union say that the sheriff’s office is also violating the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination, denying him the ID card and shield because of his injuries.

A Morris County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson told Patch the office would not comment on ongoing litigation.