‘Nazi joke’ prompts Jewish employee to file lawsuit against RI city

According to the police report, DiPetrillo asked Broomfield to stand up and said, “Knock, knock.” When Broomfield responded, DiPetrillo slapped him in the face with an open hand, saying “something like, ‘I’m a Nazi and I can ask questions.'”

DiPetrillo told police that he and other employees discussed an episode of the television series “The Office” that included:KGB joke” He told police he acted out a scene but claimed he “just put his hand on (Broomfield’s) chin.”

According to the lawsuit, which seeks back pay and damages for “mental anguish,” DiPetrillo has been on sick leave for the summer, while Broomfield remains unemployed and has not been placed in another job despite requests for more than a year.

The lawsuit was filed against the City of Warwick and the Warwick Water Department by and through Mayor Frank J. Picozzi in his official capacity. The complaint was filed on Thursday, 12 days before the November 5 elections in which independent MP Picozzi faces a challenge from Democratic candidate Leah Hazelwood and independent candidate Patrick E. Maloney Jr.

On Monday, Hazelwood said DiPetrillo should be fired. “I don’t understand why someone wasn’t fired while this was being investigated,” she said. “(‘Nazi joke’) is completely disgusting. I have members of my family who are Jewish. It’s such a shame.”

Maloney said: “This should have been dealt with immediately. “What this tells me is that (Picozzi) doesn’t want to deal with real issues that are important to people who work for the city or taxpayers because he continually exposes the city to these lawsuits.”

If elected, Maloney said he would establish “very specific rules” to deal with such situations. “When you’re at work, you’re not at a bar,” he said. – These are things you don’t joke about.

In a statement, Picozzi said: “Of course my opponents are critical of me. After individual meetings with all employees of the Water Plant, based on many of their suggestions, I restructured the department. I brought back the former department head to run the department.

A spokesman for the mayor said DiPetrillo, who earns $113,772 a year, remains on medical leave. His brother Michael DiPetrillo, accused in the lawsuit of trying to intimidate Boulais, earns $86,309 as a water infrastructure program manager.

Picozzi said Michael DePetrillo applied for the supervisory position and was not selected, but was the only candidate for the water infrastructure program manager position, which he received.

In the lawsuit, Broomfield describes how Terry DiPetrillo entered his office on Aug. 8, 2023, and called two other employees, Boulais and Michael St. Pierre – to join them.

DiPetrillo said: “That’s my Nazi joke. Knock, knock?” Broomfield began to respond, “Who’s there?” But before the words left his mouth, DiPetrillo struck him in the face with an open hand, according to the lawsuit.

“The sound of impact was heard,” the lawsuit says. DiPetrillo then delivered the punchline to the “Nazi joke,” saying, “We’ll be the ones asking the questions.”

DiPetrillo then “burst into hysterical laughter while Mr. Boulais and Mr. St. “Pierre looked on in complete shock.” The lawsuit says Broomfield “was humiliated, humiliated and offended, and was in pain and shock following the physical assault.”

The lawsuit said the punch “was very forceful and left a large red mark” on Broomfield’s face and constituted a workplace assault.

“This ‘joke’ was subjectively and objectively offensive” and “degrading” because he is of Jewish origin, the lawsuit states.

After leaving work that day, Broomfield met Boulais and St. in the parking lot. Pierre to talk about the situation. “St. Pierre commented on Mayor Picozzi’s statement by saying, “at this point I have to believe the mayor is turning a blind eye,” referring to how Mr. Terry DiPetrillo was able to abuse (Broomfield) and Ms. Boulais despite all of their prior reports to superiors and departments HR,” the lawsuit reads.

Broomfield later met with city Human Resources Director Steven Rotondo and asked for a transfer, but Rotondo told him “we can’t just do it,” according to the lawsuit.

Broomfield told Rotondo that he would not return to work because he could no longer work with Terry DiPetrillo. “Importantly,” the lawsuit says, “until then, (Broomfield) was prohibited from contacting Mr. Terry DiPetrillo.”

Rotondo told him that if he did not return to work by August 15, 2023, he would be considered a “worker’s benefit” employee and would receive a pro-rated weekly salary. The lawsuit says Broomfield remains unemployed “as he has been waiting for news of another job and/or transfer for approximately a year.”

The incident occurred when Broomfield was “just a few years” away from becoming eligible for a 10-year pension, “meaning that the effective termination of his employment resulted in him losing hundreds of thousands of dollars in pension funds,” the lawsuit states.

The lawsuit, filed by attorney Paige Munro-Delotto, states that Broomfield continues to suffer loss of income and earning capacity, as well as job-related benefits, as a result of defendants’ “discriminatory actions.” The lawsuit seeks back pay plus interest, prepaid wages and compensation for other lost income and benefits, as well as damages for “mental anguish, pain and emotional suffering” and “damage to his reputation.”

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Edward Fitzpatrick can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him @FitzProv.