NJ police chief’s firing over homophobic slurs is ‘despicable,’ attorney says

👮‍♂️ Roselle police chief fired Wednesday night

👮‍♂️ Accused of using slurs at work

👮‍♂️ Attorney says "unwarranted termination" will be undone

ROSELLE — The embattled police chief of this Union County borough has lost his job after being accused of using homophobic slurs at work.

Stacey Williams, the now-former police chief of Roselle, was terminated at Wednesday's council meeting. He took the job three years ago in July 2021.

After 31 years as a police officer, Williams was suspended without pay last August. He made $210,800 a year, according to pension records.

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A letter sent to the borough last year from local PBA attorney Peter Paris said that Williams had used homophobic slurs including the "f-word," NJ.com reported.

Captain Helder Freire has been acting chief since Williams was suspended last year.

Attorney says Roselle police chief's firing is "despicable"

Patrick Toscano, an attorney for Williams, said in May that the "harmless remarks" were said as a joke with a friend who was not offended.

His law office has filed an appeal with the Office of Administration Law within the state Civil Service Commission, Toscano said in a statement this week.

"The illegitimate termination of Roselle Chief of Police Stacey Williams is, for want of a better word, despicable. Roselle has illegally terminated the Chief for nothing other than bigoted/political reasons, and this is a man whose reputation for decades in law enforcement is nothing other than pristine and first rate," Toscano said

Toscano said the chief's "draconian" firing would be reversed. And when it is, the council's mistake would leave the borough's taxpayers on the hook for his payback and attorney fees.

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