Racial Discrimination Kept William Paterson Cop From Promotion: Lawsuit

Update: A William Paterson University official returned comment to Patch after the article's initial publication. Their comment now appears in the article.

WAYNE, NJ — An officer for William Paterson University's Campus Police Department sued the institution, claiming he was denied promotions because of racial discrimination. Craig Simko, who is white, also alleged that the university retaliated against him for trying to protect the jobs of fellow officers.

Simko claimed in the lawsuit that the university denied him promotions in retaliation for one prior action in particular. The officer was president of his police department's union, according to the lawsuit. In April 2020, university management proposed furloughing the entire police department as a cost-saving measure during the pandemic, the complaint says.

As union president, Simko proposed that the university instead eliminate the positions of two directors of public safety, the lawsuit says. Simko "wanted to protect the staff and further, feared this would set an example as other police departments across the State of New Jersey could be furloughed as well," according to court documents.

William Paterson's police department was promoting officers to sergeant in July 2020, according to the lawsuit filed Dec. 20. Simko was No. 1 on the list for a promotion, but he was "illegally and intentionally skipped over for a promotion in favor of gender and/or national origin minority candidates who ranked lower on the civil service test," the complaint says.

A university spokesperson told Patch the following via email: "The University does not comment on personnel issues or pending litigation."

Simko joined the university as a police officer in 2005 and remains employed with the department, according to court documents.

After getting passed over for a promotion in July 2020, Simko filed a notice of appeal to the Civil Service Commission, which the university received, the lawsuit says. Two days later, Charles Lowe — the university's civilian director — issued a notice of disapproval for any future transfer requests from Simko "in retaliation for the filing of his appeal," the complaint claims.

The university opened police promotions again in September 2020 and twice last year, the lawsuit says. But the police department passed over Simko and chose to delay promoting anyone to the positions, according to the complaint.

Simko has never been suspended or written up as a William Paterson employee, according to the lawsuit. But when he "repeatedly" complained to higher-ups that he wasn't getting promoted and felt he was getting treated unfairly, his grievances went unheeded, the lawsuit claims.

The lawsuit — filed in the state Superior Court in Paterson — demands a jury trial. Simko is seeking compensatory and punitive damages.

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