Five North Bergen police officers say Chief Robert Farley created a hostile workplace by engaging in extreme and humiliating behavior, according to legal notices filed as part of planned lawsuits. Allegations range from drugging officers with spiked coffee to exposing himself and defecating around the office.
According to former special captain Michael F. Derin, the chief stabbed him in the groin with a needle after chasing him around the office. Derin said the injury bled and that he was fired after trying to report the assault to the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office. His son, Det. Michael A. Derin, was later given an unfavorable shift change.
https://x.com/nbpolice/status/1767735138002043151
Lt. Alex Guzman claimed in his filing that Farley would leave human waste on the floor, sometimes near desks or in trash bins. He also said Farley would exit the bathroom without clothing and make lewd comments in front of staff. Guzman says he was later targeted with retaliatory harassment, including sex-themed packages sent to his home.
Detective Derin says he personally saw Farley dump crushed pills into the office coffee pot. He identified the substances as Adderall and Viagra. According to his account, Farley waited for officers to drink the tainted coffee. Derin said he switched to a safer coffee source after that.
Officer Rasheed Siyam says he was subjected to racial slurs and punished after raising concerns. Officer Christopher Bowen also filed a notice, claiming retaliation after not meeting an arrest quota he believed was illegal.
Additional accusations involve Farley placing firecrackers under chairs, smashing electronics and putting food laced with hot peppers in the office microwave. One officer said the pepper fumes caused such a reaction that emergency services had to be called in.
North Bergen officials have denied the allegations, stating they have full confidence in Farley’s leadership. The township has turned the complaints over to the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office for review.
