Howell Police Officers Discriminated Against Gay Ex-Officer: Lawsuit
HOWELL, NJ — A former Howell Township police officer has filed a lawsuit against the department, its leadership and Howell Township, alleging he was harassed because he is gay.
Kevan Kubiel, who lives in Ocean County, alleges he was subjected to several incidents in 2022 and 2023 that revealed his sexuality and later mocked him for being gay, and that police department higher-ups did nothing to stop the harassment, according to the lawsuit filed Sept. 4 in Superior Court in Monmouth County.
The lawsuit names Police Chief John Storrow, Capt. John Yurgel, Lt. Paul Mazzeo, Officer Francesca Dee, and dispatchers Jason Symons and Joe Pultorak, along with Howell Township and unnamed defendants.
Find out what's happening in Howellwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
“As this matter is in litigation, the Township will not be providing a comment at this time,” Township Attorney Caitlin Harney said in reply to a request for comment.
Kubiel alleges Dee made an explicit comment referencing a sexual act to Kubiel, and saying he should go back to Myrtle Beach, where he had been on vacation earlier in the summer, during an interaction on Sept. 15.
Find out what's happening in Howellwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Nine days later, Dee dropped a bag with a piece of rainbow cake in front of Kubiel during roll call for a shift, saying “I got you a gift for coming out,” according to the lawsuit. Kubiel told Dee it was inappropriate, and according to the lawsuit she was reprimanded by a superior officer.
The incident revealed his sexuality, which he had not revealed to his family at that point, according to the lawsuit.
It was fodder for ongoing conversations and issues as much as a year later, according to the lawsuit, including a situation where a dispatcher put penis-shaped caps on the air stems on the tires of his personal vehicle in June 2023.
In addition, Kubiel sought appointment as an advisor to the department’s Police Explorer program but was not appointed, in spite of his own experience as a member of the Police Explorers. Kubiel said another officer alleged Storrow, the police chief, did not want Kubiel to be part of the program.
“No internal affairs investigations were conducted” into any of the incidents, the lawsuit alleges.
Kubiel sought a new job and was conditionally hired by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office in November 2023. When he requested a meeting with Storrow, Yurgel intervened and told Kubiel “You know I call the shots here,” and though Kubiel had not submitted a formal letter of resignation, he says they mandated his resignation date.
The lawsuit alleges a hostile work environment, retaliation, and violations of his civil rights, and accuses Storrow, Yurgel and Mazzeo of aiding and abetting the discrimination. It does not specify the damages sought.
Click Here: custom-stamp-die-moulding
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.