A Black sergeant with the Roselle Police Department has filed a discrimination lawsuit against Roselle Borough and former Police Chief Stacey Williams, claiming a white supervisor once called him “boy” and beckoned him with a finger, then spent years retaliating against him for complaining about unequal treatment. Sergeant Terrell McGriff, who joined the department in 2012, says he was denied overtime opportunities, subjected to selective and unreasonable discipline, and targeted after reporting what he describes as a pattern of racially unequal treatment inside the department.
The lawsuit, filed October 2 in Union County Superior Court, was first reported by NJ.com, which detailed McGriff's claims that the 2021 incident involving the “boy” remark was part of a broader climate in which Black supervisors in Roselle faced undue scrutiny and threats of discipline that non-Black officers did not face, according to the lawsuit. McGriff, who has served as a patrol officer, field training officer, narcotics-unit supervisor and supervising detective, alleges the harassment escalated sharply once Williams, the department's former chief, was pushed out and a new acting commander took over.
A Department Already in Turmoil
The lawsuit lands against the backdrop of a Roselle Police Department that has been in near-constant leadership upheaval. Williams was fired by Roselle officials in July 2024 after a Union County Prosecutor's Office investigation found he had used homophobic slurs around officers, according to the article. But in June 2025, the New Jersey Civil Service Commission formally adopted an administrative law judge's ruling that reduced his termination to a 30-day suspension, concluding that the slur, while offensive, did not warrant firing given his 31-year career without prior major discipline, according to Out In Jersey.
That reinstatement was not uncontested. During the state proceedings, Roselle Mayor Donald Shaw and the president of the Roselle Policemen's Benevolent Association both submitted formal objections opposing Williams' return as chief, though state officials ruled the police union lacked standing to file official exceptions, per the commission's own decision. Williams didn't stop there: in December 2025, he filed a formal petition with the Civil Service Commission seeking back pay, counsel fees, and enforcement of his reinstatement, according to state records.
McGriff Alleges Retaliation From Acting Chief Freire
While Williams was suspended, Captain Helder Freire served as Roselle's interim police chief — a role that, according to McGriff's lawsuit, turned into a campaign against him. McGriff alleges Freire perceived his relationship with Williams as “a threat” and responded by restricting the detective bureau's overtime, blocking McGriff's request for a daytime assignment, and inconsistently enforcing rules on leave and extra-duty work.
The lawsuit also claims Freire ordered McGriff to change a police memo to falsely identify an information source — an order McGriff says he refused because it would have made the official record inaccurate. McGriff reported the alleged harassment and targeting to supervisors and the Union County Prosecutor's Office, but according to the lawsuit, Freire responded by calling him “the enemy” and threatening “to come after him.”
Prosecutors Closed Their Probe, But Internal Affairs Case Remains Open
The Union County Prosecutor's Office closed its investigation into the harassment allegations in September 2025, concluding the conduct appeared to involve Freire's normal exercise of authority rather than violations of department rules, according to the lawsuit. It wasn't the first time county prosecutors had stepped into Roselle's internal disputes — the office had also investigated the 2023 homophobic slur allegations against Williams, reflecting a pattern of outside oversight of the department's operations, per the commission's decision.
Even after that closure, McGriff alleges Freire kept pursuing him, seeking records of previous incidents involving him and accusing him of stealing time. In June 2026, McGriff was notified of an internal affairs complaint allegedly initiated by Freire; that investigation remains pending and has not resulted in any discipline. Roselle officials did not respond to requests for comment on the lawsuit, per the same account.
Same Attorney, Overlapping Fights With Roselle
McGriff's attorney, Patrick P. Toscano Jr., also represented Williams in his appeal before the Civil Service Commission, according to New Jersey 101.5. Toscano said McGriff was subjected to a pattern of retaliation and harassment due to his race and his friendship with Williams, and he said the alleged actions by Freire will likely cost Roselle taxpayers substantially. Notably, Freire himself was originally promoted from lieutenant to captain by Williams during Williams' first swearing-in ceremony as chief in August 2021, according to the Borough of Roselle.
Since Williams returned as chief, Freire has been moved to a subordinate position and has since taken a leave of absence. McGriff says the ordeal left him suffering anxiety, humiliation and damage to his reputation, and the lawsuit claims he lost overtime opportunities and incurred family and travel disruptions as a result.
What the Lawsuit Alleges and What It Could Cost
The suit alleges racial discrimination, a racially hostile workplace, whistleblower retaliation and violations of New Jersey's Law Against Discrimination. Under that statute, N.J.S.A. 10:5-12, employees who prove workplace discrimination or whistleblower retaliation can recover back pay, front pay, emotional distress damages, statutory attorney fees and potential punitive damages for egregious conduct, according to the New Jersey Courts.
The financial stakes for the borough are already significant given the chief position's pay: state pension records from July 2024 showed Roselle's police chief position carried an annual salary of $210,800 after 31 years of service, per New Jersey 101.5's reporting. McGriff, for his part, built a record as a detective sergeant well beyond the current dispute — Union County prosecutors publicly cited him in February 2025 for his role as a key investigator in a multi-jurisdictional armed robbery probe that led to 13- and 17-year state prison sentences for two defendants, according to Westfield Patch.
Roselle is a majority-minority borough, with Black residents making up approximately 39.7% and Hispanic residents 44.2% of its roughly 22,600 residents, compared with 11.3% who are White, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates. That demographic backdrop sits uneasily alongside the leadership turmoil now playing out in court, as McGriff's case adds a new civil rights claim to a police department already working through its own internal reckoning.
