Laura Gallagher went to State Police in 2017 with what appeared to be a straight-forward sexual assault complaint.
Gallagher told investigators she spent the night drinking in a Newton bar with a man she had known in high school. When he walked with her to the parking lot after last call, he pushed her up against the car and jammed his hand down her pants, she said. He later texted an apology, saying he got carried away, she said.
The man, the son of a former Morris County official, was arrested and questioned by police. But the Sussex County prosecutor eventually dropped the case, leading to a flood of lawsuits and allegations of corruption.
Three years later, Gallagher says she is fighting for the state to open an investigation into how her case was handled.
”I’m just hoping at some point that people will be held accountable,” Gallagher said, fighting back tears.
Gallagher was one of nine people to testify at Wednesday’s at a public forum of the Workgroup on Harassment, Sexual Assault and Misogyny in New Jersey Politics. The hearing, held via an online video call, was the fourth held by the group that is gathering testimony about sexual harassment and misconduct in state and local politics.
Gallagher was invited to testify before the workgroup after her case was detailed in Newsweek last month. NJ Advance Media also reported on the case, which sparked a dispute between the State Police and the Sussex County Prosecutor’s Office that current Acting State Police Superintendent Patrick Callahan tried to smooth over, according to legal papers.
Callahan said in a deposition he went to a Bound Brook diner to meet with two top officials from the Sussex County prosecutor’s office in 2017 to “mend fences” after his troopers requested a corruption probe and alleged the prosecutor’s office abandoned Gallagher’s case for political reasons.
Callahan told the Sussex County officials about the corruption probe, according to the legal papers. Then, he launched an internal affairs investigation of his troopers who made the complaint.
Callahan has declined to comment on the case citing the ongoing litigation.
“A judge found probable cause for arrest but for whatever reason, Laura became a political football rather than being treated as a victim of a crime,” Lauren Fraser, Gallagher’s attorney, told the workgroup Wednesday. “How often does this happen in our state?”
Fraser said it is possible other sexual assault cases have been mishandled in New Jersey.
“There was an investigation, but it magically went away. We are asking for an investigation into official misconduct,” Fraser said. “This isn’t just about justice for Laura. We want everyone to be treated with the dignity and the respect they deserve.”
The members of the Workgroup on Harassment, Sexual Assault and Misogyny listened to Gallagher and her attorney, but did not ask questions. The group, which was founded by Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg, D-Bergen, has been listening to testimony about sexual misconduct in state politics and government for months.
Weinberg founded the workgroup in response to an NJ Advance Media report on widespread sexual harassment in local and state politics. The story, which ran Dec. 29, included the accounts of more than 20 women who had been sexually assaulted and harassed in state politics and government. But none of the reported the harassment or assault to authorities because most feared it would jeopardize their careers.
The workgroup is planning at least one more hearing later this summer before it releases a report and recommendations for new policies related to sexual harassment and assault.
Gallagher’s case has led to several civil lawsuits, including one Ian Schweizer, the man she accused of assaulting her, filed against her for defamation. It also led to labor grievances and lawsuits filed by the State Police troopers who said they were retaliated against for raising questions about why the case was never prosecuted.
The Sussex County Prosecutor’s Office denied the case was mishandled.
The assistant prosecutor handling the case did not feel there was enough evidence to take Gallagher’s sexual assault complaint to court and the prosecutor agreed, said Greg Mueller, the first assistant prosecutor in Sussex County.
“A prosecutor can only prosecute a case when he or she can prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt,” Mueller said. “It’s an ethical standard and an ethical rule. That’s pretty subjective, and there is wide latitude. And it’s hard to second-guess folks. But it was the honest assessment we had.”
The prosecutor’s office suggested State Police investigators should continue their investigation, but they disagreed, Mueller said.
State Police declined to comment on Gallagher’s case.
“We are unable to provide comment on this due to pending litigation,” a State Police spokesman said.
Gallagher’s testimony before the Workgroup on Harassment, Sexual Assault and Misogyny was followed by emotional testimony from six former inmates at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women. The women told the panel about alleged widespread sexual abuse and corruption by correction’s officers at the state’s only women’s prison.
Montgomery Mayor Sadaf Jaffer also testified about the abuse she has received as the first female Muslim mayor in the nation.
Jaffer, the daughter of immigrants from Pakistan and Yemen, said she has been subjected to threatening comments and racist attacks since taking office last year, including some she had to report to police. Some of the threats have come from the people she represents in her Somerset County township.
Jaffer says she is unsure if she can recommend other women from minority backgrounds go into politics.
“Elected officials need more support and help combating hate online and in person,” Jaffer said. “There ought to be recourse, mediation and other processes to ensure that diverse women’s voices continue to be included in policymaking.”
Pete Spall, who identified himself as a former employee of an unnamed state-subsidized corporation, also testified before the workgroup. He said he wanted to remind the panel, which has largely heard only from women, that men are also subjected to sexual harassment and misconduct in New Jersey.
Spall said he was speaking publicly for the first time about sexual harassment and sexually-suggestive comments in his workplace. When he raised his concerns to a co-worker, he was told to ignore the comments.
“I don’t want to ignore it,” Spall said. “I want to move on with my life, but at the same time I want to add that men and those who identify as male can experience these things too.”
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Susan K. Livio may be reached at slivio@njadvancemedia.com.
Kelly Heyboer may be reached at kheyboer@njadvancemedia.com.
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