Court awards former police officer $1.8M in workplace discrimination suit – Star News Group

SEA GIRT — An Appellate Division court has awarded nearly $1.8 million to Kenneth Hagel, a former Sea Girt police officer, following the borough’s appeal of a successful employment suit Mr. Hagel first filed in 2014.

According to his attorney, Matthew Peluso, the award has been pending on appeal by the borough since 2019, when a jury found that Mr. Hagel had been subjected to anti-military discrimination and misperceived sexual orientation discrimination during his time with the department.

Sea Girt officials could not be reached for comment on the ruling or on whether they will seek to have it reviewed by the New Jersey Supreme Court.

“My client and I are both hoping that the town and their insurance carrier will not continue to press this and that they will accept the jury verdict, the trial judge’s post trial motion decisions and now the appellate division decision,” Mr. Peluso said.

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