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A New Jersey town is facing serious allegations of systemic racial discrimination in policing under its former mayor, according to a lawsuit filed by state authorities. The complaint targets Clark Township, where officials allegedly directed police to keep minorities out of the predominantly white suburban community.
State Attorney General Matthew Platkin and the Division on Civil Rights have filed the lawsuit against former Clark Mayor Sal Bonaccorso, suspended police chief Pedro Matos, and current police director Patrick Grady. The suit claims Clark’s leadership “systematically discriminated against and harassed Black and other non-white motorists” through targeted enforcement policies.
Bonaccorso, a Republican who served as mayor for approximately 25 years, resigned in January 2025, just days after beginning his seventh term. His departure followed a guilty plea to using township resources for his private landscaping business and forging signatures on permit applications. Despite corruption allegations, Bonaccorso had won reelection easily in November 2024.
When contacted about the discrimination lawsuit, Bonaccorso responded with a profanity-laced two-word text message to NJ.com, dismissing the allegations.
The lawsuit stems from incidents that first came to light in 2020 when a police officer revealed he had secretly recorded Bonaccorso, Matos, and another police official using racial slurs when referring to Black people. Clark Township initially paid $400,000 to settle the matter privately, but the recordings and allegations eventually became public, triggering wider scrutiny of the town’s policing practices.
According to analysis cited in the lawsuit, Black motorists were stopped 3.7 times more frequently than white drivers in Clark between 2015 and 2020. Hispanic motorists faced similarly disproportionate treatment, being pulled over 2.2 times more often than their white counterparts during the same period.
Clark Township sits approximately 27 miles south of Manhattan, positioning it as a New York City suburb in central New Jersey. The community’s demographics and its strategic location along major transportation corridors make the allegations of discriminatory enforcement particularly significant.
The Union County Prosecutor’s Office assumed control of Clark’s police department in July 2020 following the initial revelations. Matos, the police chief, has been on paid administrative leave since that intervention and has filed his own lawsuit to prevent the township from terminating his employment. The prosecutor’s oversight ended in March 2024.
State officials noted that some racial disparities in policing persisted even after the prosecutor’s intervention, though data from 2020 to 2024 showed “notable changes and improvements in policing practices” that coincided with “the reduction of some of these racial disparities.”
The current Clark Mayor Angel Albanese, also a Republican and Bonaccorso’s successor, has dismissed the state’s lawsuit as “frivolous” and accused Attorney General Platkin of “playing politics” as his term comes to an end. Charles Sciarra, an attorney representing suspended police chief Matos, expressed similar sentiments, questioning the timing of the legal action.
This case highlights ongoing tensions between state oversight and local governance in addressing allegations of systemic discrimination in law enforcement. It also underscores how leadership can influence policing culture and practices in smaller communities, potentially leading to disparate impacts on minority residents and visitors.
The lawsuit seeks unspecified remedies, which could include mandatory reforms to Clark Township’s policing practices, additional training, and potential financial penalties against the named defendants.
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8 Comments
I’m curious to know more about the specific evidence and details behind these claims. What policies or directives were allegedly used to carry out this discrimination? Were there any previous reports or complaints about racial profiling by the police department?
Good questions. The lawsuit seems to indicate there was a pattern of systematic discrimination, so I imagine the state has compiled a significant amount of data and documentation to support their case. It will be interesting to see how the former mayor responds.
This is a very serious and troubling allegation of systemic racial discrimination in policing. If true, the former mayor’s actions to direct police to keep minorities out of the town are completely unacceptable and must be held accountable.
Absolutely. The lawsuit filed by the state authorities seems well-warranted based on the details provided. Targeted enforcement policies that discriminate against minority residents are a clear violation of civil rights.
Wow, if the former mayor really directed the police to keep minorities out of the town, that is a shocking and unethical abuse of power. I hope the lawsuit leads to a thorough investigation and appropriate consequences for anyone found responsible.
This is a disturbing story, but I’m glad the state is taking action with this lawsuit. Systemic racial discrimination in law enforcement is a longstanding problem that needs to be rooted out. Hopefully this case can shed light on the issues and lead to positive reforms.
This is a disappointing and disturbing situation if the allegations prove true. No one should be denied equal access and treatment by local law enforcement based on the color of their skin. The town leadership must be held fully accountable.
I agree. Racial discrimination in policing is a serious civil rights violation that erodes public trust and undermines the core principles of justice and equality. The state authorities are right to aggressively pursue this case.