Female A.C. police officer files sex-harassment suit

ATLANTIC CITY — Atlantic City police Officer Michelle Zanes filed a civil lawsuit this week claiming several officers sexually harassed her and Chief John Mooney did nothing about it.

Zanes, 34, alleges in a 29-page complaint that officers made explicit comments to her, asked her for sex and retaliated against her for speaking out.

The lawsuit, filed in the Atlantic County Civil Courthouse in Atlantic City, names Mooney and Michael Russack, an investigator with the department's Internal Affairs Bureau, as defendants.

Clifford Van Syoc, the plaintiff's attorney, said several officers' names will likely be added to the lawsuit.

“We have Mooney named because he is the chief,” Van Syoc said Friday. “We think that the example he sets as a police officer is the perfect negative example. You would think a police chief hearing about what she (Zanes) has gone through would see if she is OK.”

The lawsuit charges that in 6½ years of employment, Zanes suffered sexual and religious harassment, discrimination and a hostile work environment. She has been out of work on disability since June because of Russack's alleged retaliation, Van Syoc said.

Beginning in January 2000 and continuing through 2002, Sgt. Anthony Pherribo allegedly harassed Zanes because of her gender. He allegedly singled her out and in one instance “spooned her” by rubbing against her from behind and also did other improper, sexually offensive acts to the plaintiff, the lawsuit reads. Pherribo was characterized in the lawsuit as engaging in “a pattern of sexual harassment.”

The lawsuit lists other officers who are accused of harassing the female officer. Zanes said one member of the department followed her home from a police event and tried to kiss her. Another allegedly became angry when she would not sleep with him and yelled at her. In one incident, an officer took a banana off Zane's desk and shoved it in her mouth while co-workers snickered, the lawsuit reads.

Atlantic City Solicitor Kim Baldwin said the case is without merit. She said Mooney is the main defendant because of a personal vendetta Van Syoc has against the chief for a prior lawsuit in which Mooney's name was dismissed.

She said Zanes' lawsuit was unexpected, considering the officer did not go to Internal Affairs to voice concerns about nearly all of the allegations she put forth in the suit.

“There are policies and procedures within the Police Department to report sexual harassment and other violations if someone feels they have been victimized,” Baldwin said. “Ms. Zanes made one allegation a number of years ago which was fully investigated. She never made any other allegations until she filed this lawsuit. She knows of the process to report violations, but she chose not to use it, which calls into question whether these other incidents ever occurred.”

Baldwin said she is filing a motion to have Van Syoc removed from the case because he will likely be called as a witness at the trial.

On June 6, Van Syoc sent a letter to Mooney indicating Zanes was subjected to a hostile work environment. About 20 minutes later, Internal Affairs contacted the officer at her home. She went to the department with her attorney during her on-duty time and Van Syoc allegedly “obstructed the investigation” and participated in discussions held between Zanes and other officers, Baldwin wrote.

Zanes is seeking compensatory and punitive damages.

To e-mail Madelaine Vitale at The Press:

mvitale@pressofac.com