Judge dismisses ex-Paterson public safety director’s discrimination lawsuit against school district
By Jayed Rahman
Published: December 8, 2017
A Passaic County Superior Court judge has dismissed former public safety director Glenn Brown’s discrimination lawsuit against the city’s school district. A declared mayoral candidate, Brown accused former state-appointed district superintendent Donnie Evans of racial discrimination and breach of contract after failing to secure a job with the school system.
Judge Randal Chiocca granted summary judgment in the distict’s favor dismissing Brown’s lawsuit. In his decision, Chiocca wrote, that Brown did not have a contractual agreement with the district, therefore there was no breach of contract.
Chiocca also wrote Brown did not present any evidence of racial discrimination. Brown and Evans are both black.
Brown’s lawsuit was dismissed on Sept. 29, 2017.
“You’re telling me something I don’t know,” said Brown on Thursday morning when asked about the dismissal. A reporter was not convinced by Brown’s comment that he was unaware the lawsuit had been dismissed. “I’m telling you. This is the first I’m hearing it,” reiterated Brown.
Brown sought to secure a six-figure job with the district in 2014 after then-mayor Jose “Joey” Torres sacked him from one of the two public safety positions in the city. Brown was both fire and police director in the city. After Torres removed him from the police director post, Brown gave up the fire director position in anticipation of the district job.
Evans wanted to hire Brown for one of the two positions in the district — Executive Director of Transportation and Investigation Specialist or Director of Operations. Neither of the jobs materialized for Brown.
Brown argued Evans committed breach of contract by offering him the jobs and failing to follow through.
Evans could not convince the New Jersey Department of Education to hire Brown, according to documents the district submitted to the court. Indeed, a state official told Evans, it may not be wise to make such a hire so soon after completing a reduction in force in the district.
Brown left his part-time fire director post for the $114,540 job at the district as Executive Director of Transportation in October 2014. There were questions raised whether Brown was qualified to handle the district’s busing program. By December it was clear Brown would not get the job.
Evans created a second job, Director of Operations, which appeared almost tailored to Brown’s resume. He was expected to start in this position in Feb. 2015. The position was later “voided” and Brown was never hired.
Brown’s possible hiring at the district stoked controversy. Some suggested Brown was being given a patronage job. He later ended up being hired as head of security at the Passaic County Community College.
Brown’s salary is $90,000, according to the college’s payroll. He also collects $100,000 in pension – he retired from being chief of detectives at the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office.
In July, Brown declared his intention to run for mayor in next year’s election.
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