NEWS

Morris Twp. cop claims job discrimination over pregnancy

Peggy Wright
@PeggyWrightDR

A veteran Morris Township police officer has filed a discrimination lawsuit against the police department, claiming her pregnancy cost her the position of school resource and crime prevention officer.

FILE - Morris Twp. Police Officer Heather Glogolich. Jan 25, 2014.

The lawsuit by Heather Glogolich, made public Wednesday in Superior Court, Morristown, names only the township and police department as direct defendants. But the text of the complaint contends that Police Chief John McGuinness made insulting comments to Glogolich about her pregnancy beginning in December 2013, after which she allegedly began to be denied requests for days off and opportunities to earn comp time.

McGuinness did not respond to a request for comment. Business Administrator Timothy Quinn said the township has not been served with the lawsuit and he nonetheless could not comment on litigation.

Glogolich, a former Morris County Sheriff's Officer, joined the Morris Township Police Department in August 2005 and is a past president of its Policemen's Benevolent Association.  Her salary is $104,612 annually but she has been on an unpaid leave of absence since this past August.

The lawsuit states that Glogolich's physician put her on a leave, about two months after the officer learned she was pregnant again.

The lawsuit -- which seeks punitive damages and compensation for all lost wages and benefits -- cites the state's law against discrimination and alleges Glogolich was discriminated against because of her pregnancy.

She started as a patrol officer and was appointed in the summer of 2012 to serve as crime prevention officer, which included acting as a school resource officer at the Frelinghuysen Middle School, working with a neighborhood watch program and acting as a community liaison. The lawsuit said that Glogolich had "open door access" to the police chief.

Glogolich learned in November 2013 that she was pregnant and advised Chief McGuinness on Dec. 2, 2013 of the fact.  He allegedly responded: "Well, I won that bet."  The lawsuit said Glogolich was "surprised and insulted" by the remark but didn't comment.

Glogolich advised the chief she needed to modify her uniform in accordance with the department's standard operating procedure, and that she planned on remaining on full duty until her maternity leave, which she expected to occur while school was in recess the summer of 2014.

The chief allegedly told Glogolich he didn't want her walking around the school "looking" four months pregnant and made a comment about not wanting to drive in a car with "a pregnant, hormonal female," the lawsuit said.

Shortly after the pregnancy disclosure, the lawsuit said, the chief posted a position for a school resource officer.  Glogolich inquired whether she was being retaliated against and whether she should reapply for the resource job but was assured by a captain she didn't need to, the lawsuit said.

The lawsuit charges that Glogolich's requests for days off that coincided with school days off started to be denied.  On one occasion, a detective -- "a male and thus non-pregnant employee" -- requested the same day off and got it but Glogolich did not, the suit said.

Her ability to accumulate compensatory time began to decrease by the limits the department started putting on time she spent on the township's website, working on the neighborhood watch program and participating in "Alive at 25" and Internet safety training, the lawsuit said.

Glogolich claims she ultimately was told by Capt. Richard Ferrone that the chief intended to remove her as school resource officer when she could no longer fit in her uniform. She was told by a supervisor that the chief no longer had an open-door policy for her and in June 2014, a male officer was assigned to the middle school to shadow Glogolich on the job, the lawsuit said.

She gave birth to a daughter in July 2014 and learned while on pregnancy leave that she would be assigned to patrol when she returned.  The lawsuit states that Glogolich advised Quinn, the business administrator, in August 2014 that she believed she was being retaliated against.

Glogolich returned to work in September 2014 and by January of this year was "completely removed" from her position as the crime prevention officer and reassigned to road patrol.  She learned in May she was pregnant again and has been on leave since August.

"Plaintiff avers that a determinative and/or motivating factor in her change in work assignments and change in terms of employment was her status as a pregnant woman," the lawsuit said.

 Staff Writer Peggy Wright: 973-267-1142; pwright@GannettNJ.com.