CAPE MAY – A former Cape May lifeguard denies using racist language in July 2020, an accusation that was included in a February whistleblower lawsuit (http://bit.ly/3bGaYab).
In a separate suit filed March 2, veteran Cape May Beach Patrol member Geoffrey Rife denied the accusation, which allegedly cost him his job last summer.
Rife claims his civil rights were violated, and asks to be reinstated and for other damages to be awarded. The suit also demands a jury trial.
As part of the earlier lawsuit, filed Feb. 17, lifeguard Terry Randolph alleged he was wrongfully passed over for promotion several times and accused the city of violations of New Jersey’s Conscientious Employee Protection Act, a whistleblower protection act.
In his lawsuit, among other accusations, Randolph claimed Rife shouted “white power” in front of beach patrol members, after Randolph discussed the Black Lives Matter protests transpiring throughout the nation.
Rife, in his March lawsuit, denied the accusation, alleging Randolph made it falsely and maliciously.
“He vehemently denies it. It is completely made up and false,” said Sebastian Ionno, an attorney with the firm Ionno and Higbee, of Pitman, representing Rife. “His termination was orchestrated by Randolph, who obviously is pissed at my client. He’s just trying to get promoted.”
The suit states Rife presented witnesses stating Rife did not speak or act that way.
The lawsuit states that in 36 years with the City of Cape May, Rife was never accused of racism or racist misconduct.
“A good-faith investigation into defendant Randolph’s accusation, with impartial fact-finding and due process of law, could not have found that the accusations had any merit or were worthy of major discipline,” the suit reads.
According to Ionno, Rife’s lawsuit is not in response to the one filed by Randolph. He said the suit was already drafted at that time, but declined to give further details, citing attorney-client privilege.
The suit states that Rife was fired Aug. 28, 2020. The city asked longtime former beach patrol member Harry Back to lead the patrol for the remainder of summer.
Cape May and former City Manager Jerry Inderwies were named in both lawsuits. Inderwies, a former Cape May City councilman, lifeguard and fire chief, stepped away from the manager’s job when the new administration tapped Michael Voll for the job, but Inderwies remains the city’s fire official and emergency management coordinator.
City officials declined to comment on either suit.
“The city is certainly aware of the filing, but we don’t have any comment at this time. We’re looking into it,” said city attorney Christopher Gillin-Schwartz March 9.
Rife’s lawsuit includes its own serious allegations against Randolph, alleging that Randolph left his post and sexually harassed female coworkers. Both lawsuits also mention a house party Randolph held July 2, 2020, as the Rife suit put it, “in the middle of Covid.”
It alleges the police were called, and Randolph was suspended from the beach patrol, but was soon returned to duty. The lawsuit claims Randolph bragged he would be “back on the force in no time,” and that he was going to get Rife fired.
The two men have worked together each summer for decades. According to the court documents, Randolph started with the patrol in 1981, while Rife was hired in 1985 and became a year-round city employee in 2017, the year he was promoted to beach patrol captain and the city created the new position of beach patrol chief.
Rife was briefly promoted to chief in summer 2020, after longtime chief Harry “Buzz” Mogck retired, in June. The lawsuit filed by Randolph indicates a long animosity between Randolph and Mogck, as well.
To contact Bill Barlow, email bbarlow@cmcherald.com.
