Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Fair Lawn police Capt. Bob Kneer, who sued the borough and his superior officers in late 2011, received $35,000 and a promotion to drop the suit, according to the settlement agreement.
A newly-minted police captain who filed suit against the borough and his superior officers in 2011 alleging they had created a hostile work environment and repeatedly denied him promotion, settled the lawsuit with the borough last month, Patch has learned. Capt. Bob Kneer, a United States Marine veteran who joined the force in 1973, agreed to release his claims in exchange for a long-sought promotion to captain and $35,000 as compensation for "physical injury and/or illness arising from the events" laid out in the lawsuit, according to the settlement agreement. Manager Tom Metzler declined comment on the settlement, except to say it was part of a global agreement that handled the pending police lawsuits against the borough. The borough's …
Monday, March 4, 2013
Lt. Bob Kneer, a 39-year Fair Lawn police veteran, is the only officer currently eligible to fill the department's vacancy left by last week's retirement of Capt. Joseph Cook.
A Fair Lawn police officer who filed suit against his superiors in 2011, alleging they had created a hostile work environment and repeatedly denied him promotion, may finally receive the bump in rank he's sought for the past three years. Lt. Bob Kneer, 60, the longest serving officer in the department, is the only member of the force currently qualified to succeed Capt. Joseph Cook, who retired last week. Borough manager Tom Metzler, who is responsible for making departmental promotions, declined comment on his choice for captain, but confirmed that Kneer was the only officer on the certified civil service captain's list. Kneer, a United States Marine veteran, joined the force in 1973, and has commanded the department's Honor Guard ever …
Friday, July 20, 2012
In November, the attorney for a police lieutenant who brought suit against Captain Joseph Cook had alleged that Cook and an administrative assistant were destroying documents related to the lawsuit.
The borough has cleared Capt. Joseph Cook of allegations that he destroyed evidence pertaining to a lawsuit filed against him by a police lieutenant, his attorney Patrick Toscano confirmed Thursday. The attorney for Lt. Bob Kneer, whose suit alleges that Cook and Police Chief Erik Rose created a hostile work environment in an attempt to compel him to retire, sent a letter to the borough's municipal excess liability attorney last November alleging that Cook and an administrative assistant within the police department were shredding documents related to the lawsuit, NorthJersey.com reported in March. The borough denied a Patch records request for a copy of the letter, citing pending litigation, but NorthJersey.com reported in March that the …
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Former police Sgt. Michael Messina sued the borough and its police chief in 2008 under the state’s Conscientious Employee Protection Act, also known as the New Jersey Whistleblower Act.
- POLICE & FIRE
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Wednesday, May 9, 2012
NorthJersey.com published a story Wednesday thoroughly detailing the borough's closed session discussions about the lawsuit former Sgt. Michael Messina filed against the borough and police chief in 2008. According to closed session minutes, Christopher Botta, the borough's legal counsel at the time, was initially optimistic that the borough had a strong defense against Messina's claims. He called the case a "slam dunk," according to councilman Kurt Peluso, and advised the borough against settling with the former sergeant. Over time, however, the borough's opposition to settling the lawsuit softened after Messina prevailed in the initial trial and was awarded a total of $815,342.67 by a seven-person jury. Even after the borough won a …
Monday, May 7, 2012
Democratic council members Lisa Swain and Kurt Peluso preferred taking the case back to court and arguing that former police Sgt. Michael Messina was not a whistleblower
Council Democrats Lisa Swain and Kurt Peluso opposed settling a lawsuit with former Fair Lawn police Sgt. Michael Messina in March because they did not agree with an earlier court decision that had classified his behavior as whistleblowing. During a closed session meeting on Tuesday, March 27, councilwoman Lisa Swain brought to council’s attention a recent New Jersey Law Journal article titled, “CEPA: When Whistleblowing Is Just Part Of Your Duties,” that she felt bolstered the borough’s defense against Messina and asked council to delay voting on the settlement for a few days until borough attorney Ron Mondello could review the article. Council agreed unanimously to delay the vote. The article, discovered by Swain’s husband, addresses the…
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Tuesday night's council meeting devolved into partisan bickering after Democratic councilmembers were asked to explain their vote against settling a lawsuit with former police Sgt. Michael Messina.
Simmering partisan tensions between council members aroused by a party-line vote taken two weeks ago boiled over during the public comment portion of Tuesday's council meeting. What began when Fair Lawn Republican Club president Daniel Dunay approached the podium to ask both Democratic council members to justify their March 30 votes against honoring a previously agreed to settlement with former police Sgt. Michael Messina, gradually devolved into council members on both sides of the aisle rehashing past slights they'd incurred at the hands of their political opposition. The night's caterwauling culminated in Deputy Mayor Ed Trawinski's vote against retiring to closed session at the end of the meeting. "I’m going to vote 'No,' on this …
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Missed any of this week's news? It's all right here.
Monday, April 2 Pedestrian Safety Grant Will Improve Warren Point School Intersection The borough has been awarded just over $146,000 from the state for pedestrian safety improvements. Fair Lawn Settles Lawsuit With Former Police Sergeant for $550K Council approved authorization of an out-of-court settlement of the lawsuit brought against the borough by former police Sgt. Michael Messina. Tuesday, April 3 High School Fashion Show Supports Anti-Bullying Effort Fair Lawn High School's Fashion Club held its fourth annual Fashion Show on Tuesday night. Click here for behind-the-scenes photos of some of the night's models getting made up. Unable to Lend Flooded Residents a Hand, Borough Lends an Ear Repetitively flooded residents aired their …
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Council approved authorization of an out-of-court settlement of the lawsuit brought against the borough by former police Sgt. Michael Messina
On the advice of its legal representation, borough council voted Friday to avoid both the risk and the expense of further litigation and pay out $550,000 to a former Fair Lawn police sergeant who sued the borough and its police chief in 2008 under the state’s Conscientious Employee Protection Act, also known as the New Jersey Whistleblower Act. “I don’t want the people to think that we’re settling because we’re caving,” Deputy Mayor Ed Trawinski said. “We’re settling because I believe in a large part there are sound economic reasons and sound legal reasons for settling.” The borough and its municipal excess liability (MEL) insurance will share equally in the settlement payment to former Sgt. Michael Messina ($275,000 from the borough; $275…
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
On March 1, the borough replaced its old worker's compensation carrier with the Bergen County Mutual Joint Insurance Fund
Council awarded a contract to the Bergen County Municipal Joint Insurance Fund Tuesday, making it the borough's new worker's compensation carrier. The move is expected to save the borough more than $100,000 over a five-year period. The Bergen County JIF will replace the borough's former carrier, Scibal Associates/QualCare, that jumped ship earlier this year. Deputy Mayor John Cosgrove characterized the split with Scibal as a "breakup." "They dumped us," Mayor Jeanne Baratta said bluntly, referring to Scibal, who until March 1 had served as Fair Lawn's claims administrator for the borough's self-insured worker's compensation program. The move happened after Scibal, which was named as a defendant in multiple lawsuits filed by Fair Lawn …
Friday, January 13, 2012
A brief background on new councilman John Cosgrove and what inspired him to run for office
It took three decades of prodding from both parties but John Cosgrove finally agreed to run for Fair Lawn borough council in 2011. “I decided to do it this time because I feel that the next four years are going to be some of the most important in Fair Lawn’s history,” Cosgrove said back in October. “There’s going to be some very difficult decisions that have to be made.” A lifelong resident whose family has lived in town for more than 100 years, Cosgrove’s devotion to Fair Lawn is legendary. “A lot of my friends always kid me that Fair Lawn is the center of my universe.” Cosgrove quips. From a quick scan of his resume, it’s immediately clear why he’s affectionately called “Mr. Fair Lawn.” Not only has Cosgrove worked in some capacity with …
Nosey bodies
2:56 pm on Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Oh boy a whole whopping 35k. A few of you fools are bitching only because you have a personal dislike for this officer. Hmmm as a taxpayer, I am more concerned about all the other lawsuits mentioned that ranged from 90k-500k?? This goes to show you the mentality of those who are on here. Go do your jobs instead of nit picking and sitting at a computer all day long! more ›