DISCRIMINATION LAWSUIT FILED AGAINST UNION COUNTY PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE

The lawsuit alleges that the Union County Prosecutor's Office discriminates against Hispanic employees.

ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY, February 5, 2007 - A Hispanic employee has filed suit against Union County and the Union County Prosecutor's Office (UCPO) alleging systematic race and ethnicity discrimination in the office's promotion practices.

Edgardo Ortiz - a Detective Sergeant with the UCPO - alleges that despite his distinguished twenty-year career in law enforcement, he was repeatedly passed over for promotions while lesser-qualified non-Hispanic officers were frequently promoted.

Mr. Ortiz further alleges that the UCPO retaliated against him when he confronted his superiors concerning illegal and discriminatory practices in the office. The Complaint filed in Union County Superior Court asserts that these actions violated the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (LAD) and the New Jersey Conscientious Employee Protection Act (CEPA).

Commenting on these allegations, Mr. Ortiz's attorney, Sarah Fern Meil, Esq. of Stockton, New Jersey said “This lawsuit is a step forward in ensuring that the dedicated servants to the citizens of Union County, such as Mr. Ortiz, are not deprived of their rightful opportunities for advancement simply because they are minorities.”

Ms. Meil also called on anyone with knowledge of the discriminatory promotion practices to come forward: “In order to eradicate the culture of discrimination from an organization as powerful as the Union County Prosecutor's Office, people must have the courage to come forward and speak out.”

For additional information or a PDF copy of Edgardo Ortiz's Complaint, contact:

Sarah Fern Meil, Attorney at Law
19 Bridge Street
Stockton, NJ 08559
Phone: (609) 397-4333
Fax: (609) 228-4307
sarahfern@sfmesq.com
www.sfmesq.com

This release was published on openPR.