Sued By 3 Different Officers, Piscataway Police Chief Mosier Retires

PISCATAWAY, NJ — Piscataway Police Chief Thomas Mosier retired Friday, in the wake of three lawsuits filed against him this year, alleging he mocked gays and lesbians on the police force, that he favored heterosexual female officers — particularly if they were attractive — and that he mocked an officer for having a foreign accent.

Mosier has been a Piscataway police officer for 33 years, but has only been police chief since January 2021.

Mosier was sued by three Piscataway police officers this year, in three different lawsuits. Two of the lawsuits made a nearly identical claim: That Mosier was notorious in the Piscataway Police Department for one particular lewd sexual act, "grabbing his genitals and rubbing them while making sexual moaning sounds in self-gratification," read one claim.

The officers said Mosier was notorious for doing this in the police station and in front of other officers.

Piscataway Mayor Brian Wahler appointed Mosier to be chief.

When asked for a response to the lawsuits, Piscataway spokesman Gene Wilk said in March the town asked the Middlesex County Prosecutor to investigate the claims.

“Chief Mosier has a 33-year record of outstanding service to the Piscataway community and the Piscataway Police Department," Wilk said when the second lawsuit was filed. "Nonetheless, we take all allegations of this nature seriously and we will follow proper procedures and refer this matter to Middlesex County for an Internal Affairs investigation.”

The status of that investigation has never been made public by the county prosecutor.

The most recent lawsuit against Mosier was filed in April by patrolman Michael Paiano, who said Mosier promoted female officers over him, despite the fact that he scored higher on police tests.

In March, Lt. Constance “Connie” Crea sued Mosier, saying he singled her out for demotions and discrimination because she is a lesbian. She also said Mosier often targeted or mocked lesbian police officers on that force.

A month earlier, in February, patrolman Alan Barboiu similarly filed a civil suit against Mosier, alleging Mosier teased and harassed him because he is from another country (he was born in Romania).

Among the many claims in her suit, Crea said that when another Piscataway female police officer, who happened to be a lesbian, died of cancer, Mosier mocked the idea of presenting the American flag to her surviving wife. During a practice for the Honor Guard flag presentation ceremony, Mosier said he would be the “ugly wife" and that he watched as the now-retired Piscataway police chief before him made a "cop a feel" sexual gesture while pretending to present the American flag.

Crea also said Mosier never disciplined a fellow officer for using the term “towelhead” (a derogatory term for Arab).

Barboiu said Mosier told him "you damn foreigner," made fun of the way he spoke and later walked by his desk and shouted "Loser!" at him.

Mosier was elected to the Piscataway Board of Education from 2008 to 2015, New Brunswick Today reported. He sought re-election to the board, under the banner “Return Common Sense to the Piscataway Board of Education” in 2017, but lost.

Mosier's wife also works as chief of staff to Piscataway state Senator Bob Smith, a Democrat.

Mosier retired Friday at an annual salary of $217,000 and will collect a pension, reported MyCentralJersey. The Piscataway Police Department is currently being led by Captain Warren Morrison and Captain Michelle Pilch, said Wilk.

Past Patch reporting on Thomas Mosier: 3rd Piscataway Police Officer Files Lawsuit Against Chief Of Police (May 2022)

Piscataway Police Chief Named In 2nd Harassment Lawsuit (March 2022)