Officer claims discrimination

‘Town intends to defend itself,’ manager says

CROMWELL» A female police officer has filed suit against the town, charging she was prevented from performing light duty during her recently completed pregnancy.

Officer Sarah Alicea, who serves as a school resource officer, gave birth to a baby girl last week. However, in her lawsuit filedMonday on her behalf by the American Civil Liberties Union, Alicea charges she was the victim of “pregnancy discrimination.”

The suit was filed with both the Federal Equal Employment Opportunities Commission and the state Commission on Human Rights and Opportunity.

“The town refused to temporarily modify Alicea’s job duties and instead forced her to take unpaid leave for the last fourmonths of her pregnancy,” according to a statement from the ACLU.

Alicea is the breadwinner in her family, the ACLU noted. Her

husband, Christopher, is a U.S. Army veteran who served— andwas wounded — in Afghanistan.

“As a woman in law enforcement, I have become accustomed to being the minority, but one thing that I didn’t anticipate was the unfair treatment I endured just because I decided to become a mother,” Alicea said in a statement that accompanied the lawsuit. “Aftermy husband and I learned that we were expecting our first child, we were ecstatic. Our excitement turned into anger and frustration at how my department and the town of Cromwell treated me.

“This roller coaster of emotions and uncertainty has added an enormous amount of stress to what should be the happiest time in my life,” the statement read.

Alicea joined the Cromwell Police Department four years ago, after having begun her career in law enforcement with the New London Police Department.

“We are disappointed that Cromwell’s management hasn’t stepped out of the 1950s and into the 21st century,” said Dan Barrett, the legal director for the ACLU of Connecticut.

“The town assures that officers injured on the job who are not able to perform their usual duties still receive their full salaries,” the ACLU said, citing the contrast with how they say Alicea was treated.

The town’s response came from Town Manager Anthony J. Salvatore, who was formerly the police chief before he became manager in 2015.

“The Town of Cromwell does not comment on the substance and details of pending lawsuits and claims,” he said Monday afternoon. “However, what I can say is that the Town of Cromwell believes it has complied with state and federal law as well as the terms of the collective bargaining agreement. The town intends to defend itself against these allegations.”

Even though the ACLU released its statement about the lawsuit to the news media at 12:48 p.m. Monday, the town had not yet been served with a copy of the complaint by 4 p.m., the close of business at Cromwell Town Hall.

Alicea was assigned to the SRO position in August 2015, according to Police Chief Denise Lamontagne.

Salvatore and Lamontagne sent much of the day in Wethersfield where they took part in a mediation session at the state Department of Labor.

MIDDLETOWN PRESS FILE PHOTO Cromwell Police Department officer Sarah Alicea, seen here in 2013, has filed suit against the town, charging she was prevented from performing light duty during her recently completed pregnancy.