A jury has awarded $81,000 to a police officer in Morris County who claimed in a lawsuit he had been denied promotions due to his protected union activity and right to free speech.

Gregory Albert, a patrolman with the Rockaway Township Police Department, claimed in court papers he “suffered adverse employment actions in retaliation for his union organizing activity.”

“The township failed to promote (Albert) twice when he was ranked number 1 on the civil service list due to retaliation for his protected activity,” states the lawsuit, filed Aug. 10, 2023, in Superior Court of Morris County.

The suit alleged Albert experienced emotional distress and economic losses when township officials engaged in practices that were “willful, wanton and malicious,” and declined to promote him to sergean

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