Racist Harassment Drove Out NJ Town's Only Black Cop: Lawsuit

HANOVER, NJ — Jason Jones joined the Hanover Police Department as its only Black officer, according to court documents. But he didn't last long, as a series of racist incidents pushed him out, his lawsuit against the township and police department states.

In less than a year with Hanover PD, officers said slavery never existed, pointed at Jones' lunch and said "what is that, fried chicken" and stated a Black suspect must have drunk alcohol because "you know how your people are," according to the lawsuit. Another officer said under oath that multiple members of the agency have used the N-word at the Hanover Police Department, according to court documents.

Township Administrator Joseph A. Giorgio said he cannot comment on the case due to the ongoing litigation. Attorney Eric L. Harrison, who's representing the township and police department in the lawsuit, said he had no further comment.

After three years with Camden police, Jones joined the Hanover Police Department in May 2017. Out of Hanover's 30 police officers, only one other was a racial minority and the rest were white men, according to the lawsuit.

During a conversation with Field Training Officer David Littman, Jones said that when he gets pulled over, he hides that he's a police officer because he doesn't want it to appear he believes he's above the law. He told Littman he noticed he was treated differently on occasion during car stops, according to the lawsuit.

Littman later wrote in Jones's field-training observation report that the comments showed Jones "displayed bad integrity and exercised poor judgment," according to the lawsuit. Jones's comment from the conversation spread around the department, and he was told other Hanover officers couldn't and didn't trust him, the lawsuit says.

Over the next several months, officers made a "concerted effort to push the only African American police officer out of the Department," according to the plaintiff.

After the Charlottesville, Virginia, riots of 2017, multiple officers spoke openly in the breakroom about slavery while Jones was present, according to the lawsuit. The officers stated slavery never existed and could not understand why Black people were upset about it, according to the complaint.

Jones and Officer Eric Woodruff later processed two Black suspects. Jones asked one of them if he drank alcohol, as part of the required processing questions. The suspect replied, "No, I just drink water." According to the lawsuit, Woodruff turned to Jones and said, "Come on man, you know how your people are."

While Jones ate a grilled chicken salad in the break room, an officer asked him, "What is that, fried chicken?"

Around July 2017, Littman told Jones he was not well-liked and should seek other jobs, because his law-enforcement career, was over, according to the lawsuit.

Jones continued to receive "false and disparaging" evaluations through September 2017, the complaint says. He raised his concerns to Lt. Ryan Williams, who ordered Jones to put them in writing, according to the lawsuit. Jones did, and four days later he received a preliminary notice of proposed dismissal, according to the plaintiff.

Jones was suspended in September 2017, pending the conclusion into the investigation into his complaints, the lawsuit says. He was suspended without pay for two days and then with pay for the remainder of the suspension.

The department sent Jones a letter March 2018, stating the internal investigation "failed to disclose sufficient evidence to clearly prove or disprove Jones's allegations," the lawsuit says.

The internal-affairs investigator never interviewed Jones — a violation of state procedure — according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit says that the investigation was merely "a sham" meant to justify the defendants' desired outcome of firing Jones.

Jones resigned in April 2018.

Jones filed the lawsuit in March 2019. Since that time, the township and police department filed a motion seeking a summary judgment dismissing Jones's complaints.

Attorney Joshua F. McMahon, who represents Jones, filed a 264-page brief Feb. 24 to oppose the defendants' motion for dismissal. The brief includes an interview with another officer, who says other colleagues have used the N-word at the Hanover Police Department.

Judge Peter A. Bogaard denied the motion for dismissal last October. A trial is set for Oct. 3 in Morris County's Superior Court.

Thanks for reading. Have a news tip? Email josh.bakan@patch.com. Subscribe to your local Patch newsletter and follow the Morristown Patch Facebook page.