Woodstock town government has settled a federal civil-rights lawsuit filed by four officers and a former dispatcher for $70,000. The case alleged unlawful discrimination, retaliation, and the creation and acceptance of a hostile work environment.
Sergeant Adam McGrath, officers Tiffany Croizer, Gabrielle LaLima and Brian Williams and former dispatcher Michelle Sullivan were plaintiffs in the complaint against the town, the police department, chief Clayton Keefe and officer Phil Sinagra. LaLima withdrew from the case in October.
The settlement amount will be distributed among the four remaining plaintiffs. It includes all costs and attorney fees incurred by the plaintiffs, according to the offer filed in court.
The settlement is not an admission of liability or wrongdoing.
The offer was made December 2 and accepted December 13, but Judge Frederick J. Scullin Jr. required the offer, acceptance and proof of service in one filing. Attorney Scott Quesnel of Girvin & Ferlazzo, who represented Keefe, the town, the police department and Keefe, filed the paperwork January 13.
Sinagra has separate legal representation.
The settlement is awaiting court approval.
The lawsuit alleged officer LaLima was subjected to sexual and threatening comments by Sinagra. When McGrath brought LaLima’s complaints to Keefe’s attention, his concerns were dismissed, according to the lawsuit.
Keefe retaliated against LaLima by continuing to require her to work with Sinagra, the lawsuit alleged.
The chief allegedly retaliated against McGrath by threatening a lawsuit and negative impact on the latter’s career, denying training requests that had been approved in the past, and removing McGrath from involvement in hiring new officers, according to the complaint.
Officer Croizer was subjected to derogatory comments in 2020 for breastfeeding and forced to express milk in an unheated, unsanitary storage room, the complaint stated.
The suit alleges supervisor Bill McKenna and Keefe retaliated against Sullivan’s complaints about Sinagra’s behavior by forcing her to resign and eliminating three of her vacation days.
The town retaliated against Williams’ complaints against Sinagra by depriving him of backup during night shifts and forcing him to work increased hours with Sinagra, the lawsuit further alleged. Sinagra has been on paid administrative leave since May 2023 and since August, has been required to report to a desk in McKenna’s office on Fridays.
McKenna said Sinagra was entitled to a hearing prior to dismissal. The two parties are negotiating a date and conditions of the hearing.
McGrath, who is union shop steward and president of the Woodstock PBA, called into question the timing of a recently announced Police Reimagination Task Force to examine spiraling costs and alignment with community values. “The town has recently agreed to settle the lawsuits with four of the members,” he said, “and it is very coincidental that now that the town is settling Mr. McKenna is questioning the cost of the department.”
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