Roselle, New Jersey Police Chief Stacey Williams was fired in 2024 after a county prosecutor's investigation found he used a homophobic slur while speaking to subordinate officers on the job. A gay officer on his force said he heard Williams use the word multiple times. Williams himself admitted on the witness stand that he used a similar slur against another officer about ten years ago — and that, if he used the word in 2022, it was "no big deal."

"It's like calling somebody a punk," Williams testified.

An administrative court judge found Williams did use the slur — but ruled that a 30-day suspension, not termination, was appropriate. Williams was back on the job last week.

This is Pride Month. And Roselle has just reinstated a police chief who used homophobic slurs at work, defended their use on the witness stand, and now leads a police department that includes at least one gay officer who was subjected to that language by his own boss.

A police chief sets the tone for an entire department. When that chief uses slurs against gay people — and faces no meaningful consequence — it sends a message to every LGBTQ+ officer, resident, and crime victim who has to interact with that department: you are not safe here.

The Civil Service Commission gave Williams his job back. The people of Roselle and New Jersey deserve better.

We're calling on Roselle Mayor Donald Shaw and the Roselle Borough Council to immediately remove Chief Stacey Williams from his position and implement mandatory LGBTQ+ anti-discrimination training across the entire department.