Somerville Officer Sues Borough, Police Chief Over Bias, Retaliation Claims

A Somerville police officer, Nicole DeBiase of Bridgewater, has filed a lawsuit against the borough and Police Chief Dennis Manning alleging sex discrimination, sexual orientation discrimination, disability discrimination, hostile work environment, and retaliation. The 25-page complaint, filed in Somerset County Superior Court, describes years of alleged misconduct by colleagues, denial of light-duty work following shoulder surgery that male officers reportedly received, and retaliation after DeBiase raised workplace concerns. The borough and police department had not responded to requests for comment at the time of publication.