BARNEGAT – Two female Barnegat police officers have filed a 35-page federal lawsuit alleging sexual harassment, gender discrimination, retaliation and repeated failures by department leadership to properly investigate complaints made within the Barnegat Township Police Department.
Attorney Tracy Riley of the Law Offices of Riley & Riley, LLC filed the lawsuit on April 29 in U.S. District Court in Trenton on behalf of Officer Sarah Girgenti and Officer Nicole Lentini Mason. The complaint names the Township of Barnegat, the Barnegat Township Police Department, Police Chief Jason Carroll, Captain Andrew Parsley, Sgt. Kyle Cranmer and Detective William Hetrick as defendants, along with unidentified John and Jane Does.
According to the filing, Girgenti became Barnegat’s first female police officer when she was hired in 2002. Lentini Mason joined the department in 2020. Both officers continue to work for the department.
As with all civil litigation, the allegations contained in the complaint are claims brought by the plaintiffs that have not been decided in court. The defendants will have the opportunity to respond through the legal process.
Suit: Internal Affairs Process Failed
A recurring theme throughout the lawsuit is the plaintiffs’ claim that supervisors and command staff repeatedly failed to follow Attorney General guidelines governing workplace harassment complaints and internal affairs investigations.
The officers contend they reported concerns through the chain of command on multiple occasions but allege investigations were delayed, minimized or never formally opened. The lawsuit further claims complaints were sometimes treated as interpersonal disputes rather than potential policy violations requiring formal review. It alleges the department tolerated retaliation and unequal treatment toward female officers.
According to the court filing, the officers contend that they were discouraged from pursuing complaints formally and that concerns were repeatedly routed back through supervisors accused of misconduct. The lawsuit also alleges the women continued working in proximity to officers whose conduct they had reported
In one portion of the complaint, the plaintiffs allege supervisors focused more on how incidents were documented internally than on whether the alleged conduct itself warranted discipline or investigation. The filing further alleges that when concerns were raised regarding comments entered into an internal reporting system, discussions initially centered on deleting or revising the entry rather than immediately opening a formal internal affairs investigation.
Allegations Date Back Years
Many of the allegations involving Girgenti center on Hetrick and conduct alleged to have begun in 2023. The filing alleges Girgenti received repeated unwanted communications and was subjected to comments and conduct that made her uncomfortable in the workplace.
More specifically, the complaint alleges Hetrick sent Girgenti “hundreds of messages professing his love for her” and made statements that he wanted to slip her “gummies” to make her like him. Girgenti alleges that by September 2023, the behavior had become increasingly erratic and was occurring in front of coworkers.
According to the lawsuit, Girgenti repeatedly raised concerns regarding Hetrick’s alleged conduct but contends meaningful intervention did not occur for an extended period of time. She alleges she was told there was an ongoing investigation but received little information regarding its status.
The complaint further alleges Hetrick was later promoted within the department and that Girgenti continued reporting to him despite the concerns she had raised.
An exhibit attached to the complaint documents disciplinary action involving Hetrick. A New Jersey Office of the Attorney General major discipline report covering 2024 states Hetrick received a 45-day unpaid suspension after investigators concluded he sent “unprofessional communications” to a coworker through a messaging application and continued sending unwanted messages after allegedly being ordered to stop communications unrelated to official business.
The same report references an allegation that Hetrick touched the coworker in the shoulder area without being asked and notes that a third-party officer considered the conduct inappropriate.
Another allegation described in the complaint involves what the plaintiffs characterize as an inappropriate “portal entry” regarding Girgenti’s appearance. According to the lawsuit, the entry allegedly referenced her clothing and physical appearance in explicit terms. The complaint alleges Cranmer later acknowledged creating what had initially been an anonymous entry.
Shooter Drill Detailed
Separate allegations involving Lentini Mason stem from an August 2025 active shooter training exercise. During the simulation, another officer allegedly moved unexpectedly into her line of fire, resulting in a training round from her weapon causing what was described as a minor injury.
Following the incident, Cranmer allegedly berated Lentini Mason in front of fellow officers during a debriefing session. Among the remarks attributed to Cranmer were: “Thanks to you, you’ll be standing over your co-workers body as he gurgles on his own blood,” and, “You’ll be the one going to his beautiful family and telling his wife and kids that you were the one who killed their husband and dad.”
The filing also alleges Cranmer accused Lentini Mason of attempting to “justify” her actions when she tried to explain what occurred during the training scenario. The lawsuit further alleges Cranmer continued discussing the incident afterward with other officers and supervisors and that Lentini Mason became increasingly concerned about how she was being viewed within the department following the training exercise.
Following the incident, Lentini Mason contends she later became the only officer formally documented in the department’s Guardian Tracking System despite claims that other officers participating in the same exercise also made mistakes.
Additional allegations describe heightened scrutiny involving her use of personal time and attire. The complaint also alleges she believed she was being treated differently from male officers following the training incident.
Lentini Mason contends she raised concerns through the chain of command regarding Cranmer’s handling of the situation and the treatment that followed, but contends the matter was not properly addressed through formal internal affairs procedures.
According to the complaint, the plaintiffs contend the incidents caused emotional distress, anxiety and other health-related impacts.
Township Responds
Barnegat Township Attorney Christopher Dasti confirmed the township had been served with the lawsuit.
“The matter has been forwarded to the township’s insurance carrier,” Dasti said. “The matter will proceed accordingly.”
None of the parties named in the lawsuit were contacted for additional comment because they are represented by legal counsel in the pending litigation.
The lawsuit seeks compensatory damages, punitive damages and other relief. The defendants have not yet filed a response in federal court.
