Maplewood Police Officer Chian Weekes-Rivera is suing the Township of Maplewood and Police Captain Peter Kuenzel over alleged discrimination after she wore a traditional African hairstyle to work on Aug. 20, according to a lawsuit filed in Superior Court in Essex County.
Read the lawsuit below.
On November 10, Township Administrator Patrick Wherry sent the following statement, “The Township Committee was made aware of Officer Weekes-Rivera’s lawsuit on Wednesday, November 8th. In response to the lawsuit, and based on the recently adopted CROWN Act, the Township Committee directed its Police Department to immediately review its policies to ensure compliance with the law.”
Weekes-Rivera, along with several other officers, sued the township in 2021 over its vaccine mandate. She won on the basis of religious exemption. Weekes-Rivera spoke on the topic at an October 2021 Township Committee meeting.
