A former police officer in Passaic County plans to sue the borough where he worked for $2.5 million, alleging he was forced to resign after years of harassment and retaliation due to racial discrimination and union activities.
William Pepe was only the Black police officer on the Pompton Lakes Police Department when he was hired in 2015, according to a notice of tort claim sent to the borough on Friday.
A former military veteran, Pepe was promoted to detective, assigned to the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office Narcotics Task Force, and served as firearms instructor for the department.