Somerville Officer Sues Police Chief Over Alleged Bias and Retaliation

In a move that has already sparked conversations around workplace culture in law‑enforcement, Somerville police officer Nicole DeBiase filed a 25‑page lawsuit Monday in the Somerset County Superior Court. She’s taking on not only the borough itself but also Police Chief Dennis Manning, alleging a slew of discriminatory actions that span her gender, sexual orientation, and a disclosed disability.

DeBiase, a married lesbian who says her orientation was an open secret among colleagues, paints a picture of repeated, uncomfortable incidents that have been building for years. According to the complaint, an officer named Vito Spadea repeatedly made lewd remarks and, in 2019, allegedly approached DeBiase from behind in a bathroom marked “women” and tried to massage her shoulders. She claims she felt an erection pressed against her back and saw Spadea’s hand “tucking” in his crotch area.

Beyond that episode, the filing lists a pattern of off‑color comments about women’s bodies on TV, even a question directed at DeBiase about whether she would have sex with a woman shown on a program. Those remarks, the suit says, were made openly in the precinct and left her feeling humiliated and unsafe.

When DeBiase suffered a shoulder injury that required surgery in late 2024, her physician cleared her for light‑duty work. Instead of accommodating her, Chief Manning told her the department had no light‑duty policy and that “if he did it for her, he would have to do it for everyone.” Yet the complaint notes that other officers did receive modified assignments after similar injuries, suggesting a double standard.

DeBiase says she pursued the issue through the police union, asking about sick‑time and light‑duty grievances. After that, her schedule was altered, she was pulled from community‑policing events, and during a June 11 incident near a Dunkin’ Donuts she allegedly did not receive timely backup while confronting an irate teenage girl.

All of these experiences, she alleges, created a hostile, intimidating, and humiliating work environment. The lawsuit claims she has endured “diminished career opportunity, harm to her reputation, loss of self‑esteem, disruption of professional and family life, emotional trauma, and other pain and suffering.” She is seeking nominal, compensatory, and punitive damages, plus interest, attorneys’ fees, and any other relief the court deems just.

The borough and the police department have not yet commented on the allegations. The case, still in its early stages, could become a touchstone for how small‑town police forces handle bias complaints and disability accommodations.

For now, the community watches closely, awaiting any further developments and hoping the legal process will bring clarity to the claims raised by Officer DeBiase.