Man Was Jumped, Beaten By Coworkers At Bergen County DPW, Lawsuit Says

BERGEN COUNTY, NJ — A former employee of the Demarest Department of Public Works has filed a lawsuit saying three co-workers assaulted him in 2022 and left him disabled.

The civil suit, filed last Wednesday in Bergen County Superior Court, names the workers as well as the Demarest DPW.

Giancarlo Villena was in the area of 76 Ross Ave., a residential street, on Nov. 15, 2022, "when suddenly and unexpectedly, he was physically attacked, assaulted, and battered by the ab0ve named assailants and employees of the Department of Public Works," says the suit.

Villena was named as a former employee of the department in reports in NJ.com and the Record.

The suit says he has dealt with "permanent pain, suffering, and disability" since then, arguing that the DPW was required to maintain a site that's "safe, free and clear of hazardous and dangerous conditions."

The suit also alleges that the department "tolerated and ratified" such uses of force, and did not properly screen, hire, and train employees and mangement personnel.

Villena has been forced to spend large sums of money on medical treatment, the suit says, and has been prevented from attending to his "occupations, duties, activities, and business."

Patch has reached out to Mayor Brian Bernstein and public works manager Jason Gangi, the latter of whom is named in the suit, for comment, and will post a comment from the town if one is received.

The suit asks for a jury trial and damages.