Fired Wayne Officer Seeks Reinstatement Amid Sexual Harassment Case

WAYNE, NJ — A former Wayne Township police officer claims she was wrongfully fired from the department after filing a sexual harassment lawsuit against the township, according to court documents.

Christie Ohlendorf, who began working for Wayne Police in 2014, filed a lawsuit on Aug. 2 seeking reinstatement after she was terminated in July. Ohlendorf also seeks back pay, benefits, promotion to the rank of sergeant and other compensation, according to the lawsuit.

Wayne Police claimed that Ohlendorf showed “insubordination and untruthfulness” during and after an incident in the police lobby last October, court records show. Police officials served her a notice of disciplinary action and filed charges against her in December, and she requested a hearing to challenge it.

Ultimately, a hearing officer ruled in favor of the police department on July 12, the day she was fired.

In between these dates, Ohlendorf filed a sexual harassment lawsuit in Passaic County Superior Court, claiming that she experienced sexual harassment on multiple occasions and that the department treated its female officers unfairly. That lawsuit was filed on Feb. 2.

Ohlendorf, of Paramus, said that Wayne was "deliberately indifferent" to her requests for more equal treatment for the women, including moving their locker room out of a closet in the squad room. The department then moved the women's locker room "from the WPD squad room closet to the sub pump closet in the WPD men’s locker room," according to the lawsuit.

Ohlendorf further claimed the township violated New Jersey’s Law Against Discrimination (NJLAD) by failing to protect her from sexual harassment and by pressuring her to reveal detailed information about her mental health.

According to court documents, police officials questioned Ohlendorf’s fitness as a supervisor after she had taken sick leave to take care of her mental health.

“Essentially, Wayne revealed its illegal belief that Ohlendorf is not fit to be a WPD supervisor simply because she took sick leave to address her mental health,” the lawsuit states.

Patch has reached out to Wayne Township's legal counsel for comment.