A lesbian police lieutenant has won a $750,000 settlement after suing a New Jersey township over alleged discrimination by its former police chief. Constance Crea accused ex-Piscataway Police Chief Thomas Mosier of “persistent sexual and sexual orientation harassment.”
Her lawsuit detailed Mosier’s degrading comments, including telling her to “doll herself up” and asking, “Who’s mowing the grass?”—a reference to her relationship with her wife. Mosier allegedly promoted a straight colleague to a position so he could “stare at her in her yoga pants” and once grabbed his genitals in front of Crea while moaning. Crea’s was one of six complaints against Mosier.
Crea said she didn’t report the harassment for fear of retaliation. In 2022, Mosier retired and Crea too left the department. As part of the settlement, Crea agreed to never seek employment with Piscataway again. The lawsuit also alleged that heterosexual female officers were treated differently, with some allowed to work from home during the pandemic while Crea was required to be in-person. Mosier, who retired in 2022, also faces lawsuits alleging racial discrimination.
