A Vineland police officer is suing after he says the police chief requested sexual favors from the officer's wife or daughter in exchange for a promotion.

The Daily Journal reports that Ronald DeMarchi filed  a six-count lawsuit Friday in Cumberland County Superior Court. The suit alleges "he and others were subject to discrimination, emotional distress, harassment, a hostile work environment, and civil rights violations while working at the city’s police department." The lawsuit is against Police Chief Rudy Beu, the police department, and the City of Vineland.

The harassment allegedly began in Spring 2017 when DeMarchi and his wife were at a Phillies game where Beu and Lt. Tom Riordan also were present. At the time, DeMarchi, a patrolman, was up for promotion to sergeant.

According to the suit, Beu and Riordan made “obscene, inappropriate remarks” to DeMarchi’s wife, indicating that for sexual favors the chief would bypass another officer and promote her husband.

When DeMarchi learned of the alleged comments, he told the men to never speak to his wife that way again.

During the next several months, Beu reportedly continued to make promises that he would promote DeMarchi to sergeant and would be bypassing Officer Terry Hall, who he allegedly referred to as “Tee Bag,” the suit states.

In August 2017, Capt. David Cardana, then a lieutenant, reportedly contacted DeMarchi and told him that Beu was saying he wouldn’t be “promoting him or Lt. Pedro Casiano because Plaintiff and the union liked both officers too much.”

DeMarchi said he requested to meet with Beu and allegedly questioned the chief about Cardana’s claim.

During that conversation, “the chief asked, ‘Can I have S.M.?’ meaning the chief was asking for sexual favors from DeMarchi’s wife as a trade-off for his promotion,” the suit states.

DeMarchi claims he “immediately stopped the conversation and turned in disgust to walk out of the chief’s office when he blurted out and chuckled, ‘O.K. Can I have B.M.?’ The suit identifies B.M. as DeMarchi’s youngest daughter.

DeMarchi claims he walked outside to his vehicle, where his children were waiting for him. Beu allegedly followed him to the vehicle and told DeMarchi’s children that he was going to promote their father. Capt. Matt Finley allegedly witnessed the exchange, according to the suit.

DeMarchi claims he immediately contacted his union about the incident and that they advised him to report it to the city.

More information about the lawsuit can be found at The Daily Journal.

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