August 05, 2015
A former New Jersey police chief is being sued by one of his officers for allegedly sending sexually explicit text messages to the officer's wife, the Courier-Post reports.
The lawsuit, filed by Far Hills Detective Jason Shanaphy, reveals a string of sexual text messages allegedly sent by former police Chief Kenneth Hartman to Shanaphy’s wife last year.
"I’m not saying this to tease you," Hartman reportedly texted. "I have liked you from day one. Want to touch you and please you. It’s been driving me crazy. You are yummy. Please do not tell."
In one of the messages, Hartman blames his desires for Shanaphy’s wife on the fact that his own cancer-stricken wife had undergone chemotherapy.
"I love [wife’s name]," he allegedly wrote. "But we both know we are missing passion in our marriages."
The lawsuit claims that Hartman had made similar advances toward spouses or romantic partners of other employees and representatives.
“The chief’s actions toward Officer Shanaphy and his wife constitute a serious abuse of his public office,” the lawsuit states.
“The demand for sexual favors of a subordinate officer’s spouse and accompanying implied threat of adverse treatment of a subordinate employee in the workplace if the demand was not met are the equivalent of quid pro quo sexual harassment, which is prohibited by the Law Against Discrimination.”
Hartman retired in May.
Read the full transcript of messages here.
