"POWER CORRUPTS, ABSOLUTE POWER CORRUPTS ABSOLUTELY"
LORD ACTON
On January 7, 2025, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, agreed to a $1,209,760.08 settlement to resolve a 2019 lawsuit filed by a former university police sergeant who alleged that he was wrongfully terminated for exposing widespread misconduct within the Rutgers-Newark police department. The alleged misconduct included drinking on duty and covering up a drunk driving accident caused by an officer.
In his lawsuit, former Sergeant Michael Jason Farella, who had served with the Rutgers Police Department since 2001, claimed that in August 2017, he anonymously reported various instances of misconduct to university officials, including then-Police Chief Kenneth Cop and Deputy Chief Michael Rein. His allegations included supervisors sleeping on duty, receiving pay despite not showing up for work, officers conducting personal business while on the clock, drinking beer while on duty, overtime fraud, and the mishandling of disciplinary files. Additionally, he reported an incident involving an officer who, while driving intoxicated for the second time, crashed into a parked car and injured a female passenger—an event he claimed was subsequently covered up by the department.
Rutgers conducted an internal investigation and, according to Farella, implemented some corrective actions. However, in September 2017, Farella alleged that during an Internal Affairs inquiry led by Rein, he admitted to authoring the anonymous letter. Just two days later, a newly hired officer, Stephanie Olivo, initiated a vehicle pursuit despite Farella’s direct orders to discontinue it. Farella stated that he repeatedly instructed Olivo to stop the pursuit before she finally complied. The incident was later reviewed by university police officials, who, according to Farella’s filing, determined that the pursuit had been properly supervised.
Despite this finding, Farella was brought up on disciplinary charges seven months later in April 2018. The university alleged that he had failed to take immediate control of the situation and prevent the unauthorized pursuit. As a result, then-Chief Carmelo Huertas terminated Farella’s employment effective May 7, 2018. Farella contended that his termination was retaliatory, arguing that other officers involved in the incident received significantly lighter disciplinary actions. He claimed that Olivo, the officer who initiated the pursuit, received only a three-day suspension, while two other supervisors, Lieutenant Daniel Duran and Sergeant Amy Leffland, were issued written reprimands.
The total settlement amount of $1,209,760.08 included $634,760.08 for Farella’s lost wages, subject to tax and retirement contributions, $85,043 for non-economic damages such as emotional distress, and $489,957 for attorney fees and litigation costs. Rutgers also agreed to cover mediation expenses associated with the case. In a statement, Dory Devlin of the university’s News and Media Relations department said that “the percentage breakdown of the settlement allocation between the university and the insurance carrier is 80% carrier and 20% university.”
The settlement agreement contained confidentiality and non-disparagement clauses prohibiting Farella from publicly discussing the details of the settlement or making negative statements about Rutgers and its employees. If he or his immediate family members violated this provision, Rutgers could seek liquidated damages of $50,000 against them. However, such confidentiality agreements do not override the public’s right to access the settlement terms under the Open Public Records Act (OPRA). The settlement contains several redacted paragraphs which Rutgers claims fall under OPRA’s “personnel records” exemption.
According to Rutgers’ response to an OPRA request, Farella separated from his employment with the university on March 7, 2018, when he was earning an annual salary of $97,286. Chief Cop currently serves as Vice President for Public Safety & Chief of RUPD, with an annual salary of $300,150.66. Deputy Chief Rein retired effective October 31, 2022, at an annual salary of $165,577.39.
The case, captioned Michael Jason Farella v. Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Docket No. ESX-L-1767-19, was handled by Farella’s attorney, Christopher P. Lenzo, of the Morristown law firm Lenzo & Reis, LLC. The lawsuit and settlement agreement are available online here in a tabbed PDF file.
Comments were sought from the attorneys in this case. None were received.
None of Farella’s allegations have been proven or disproven in court. As is standard, the settlement agreement states that it “shall not be construed to be an admission of liability or of any wrongdoing” and that “Rutgers specifically disclaims and denies any wrongdoing or liability.” Ultimately, Rutgers or its insurer chose to pay Farella $1.2 million rather than proceed to trial. The university may have opted to settle to avoid additional legal expenses and the costs of defending against what could have been exaggerated or meritless claims. Alternatively, the allegations may have been true, and Rutgers sought to avoid public scrutiny and potential embarrassment at trial. This uncertainty is a common consequence of settlements—when cases resolve before trial, the full truth remains unknown.
SEE ALL MY LABELS UNDER RPD EXPOSING THEIR CESSPOOL OF POLICE CORRUPTION.
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