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Former North Bergen employee's sex harassment suit naming mayor strikes out with judge
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An ethics complaint citing sexual harassment brought against state Sen. Nicholas Sacco by a former North Bergen employee was dismissed yesterday by the state Joint Legislative Committee on Ethical Standards because it was not filed in a timely manner.
“We are very glad that the committee voted unanimously to dismiss the false and outrageous charges,” said Paul Swibinski, a spokesman for Sacco, also the North Bergen mayor.
The complaint, filed in December 2011 by former Recreation Department employee Lydia Coleman, who worked as a swim instructor from 1995 to 2005, said the harassment occurred from 2003 to 2005.
“Senator Sacco has an unblemished record of integrity for over 40 years,” Swibinski continued. “It is a shame that a disreputable character like (Lydia) Coleman can get away with using a phony, doctored tape recording to attack his reputation with a bunch of outright lies.”
Among the most egregious of the claims made by Coleman was that Sacco left four voicemails on her phone calling her “stupid” and a “retard” for refusing his sexual advances at a gathering of North Bergen workers.
“I think you should call me back . . .,” Sacco said in the first message, according to the voicemail. “I think it would be very wise thing to do right at this moment. You don’t want to, don’t. It would be wise to do it.”
In an excerpt of another message, Coleman claims Sacco said: “You don’t seem to understand that everything is in my hands right now. Everything is in my hands. You don’t understand that because you’re a f retard.”
James Willson, assistant counsel to the Joint Committee, said six members of the committee voted unanimously to dismiss the complaint because there is a two-year limitation period and the most recent event alleged in the complaint was from 2004.
“As I was displeased with the dismissal of the complaint based on the timeliness issue, I do feel that Ms. Coleman had mitigating factors that prohibited a timely filing of this matter,” Mario Blanch, Coleman’s lawyer, said in a statement.