Sharon Police Officer Suing Department For Racist Comments

SHARON, MA — A police sergeant is suing his employer, the Sharon Police Department for what he is saying was discrimination and acts of racism against him.

First reported by The Patriot Ledger, Sharon Police Sgt. Brian Mannetta, who is of Chinese and Ecuadorean descent, is claiming that his superiors ignored or brushed off his complaints about a colleague who made racist comments to him.

The lawsuit Mannetta filed claims that Lieutenant Jeff Penders started the comments during roll calls, asking if he had the Chinese Bird Flu after he coughed, harassed Mannetta with sounds from an "oriental riff song," and asked, "Cats – you people eat those things, don't you?"

The lawsuit states that Mannetta reported the incident to his superiors, Police Chief John Ford and Chief Donald Brewer, but was told to just "move on," because he wasn't being a "team player," by complaining about his coworkers.

Years later, Mannetta says he was approached by an unidentified off-duty colleague at at Sharon Racial Equity Alliance rally that he attended on September 16 2020, who said, "Great job, Brian, for supporting a bunch of cop killers," took his photo and shouted comments at the crowd, according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit says, that due to potential media coverage, Sgt. Mannetta reported this incident that evening to Lieutenant Coffey.

Mannetta is looking for $100,000 in documented lost wages and an undetermined amount for "emotional distress" for the racism he says he has endured.

The town is moving to dismiss the lawsuit, according to a notice filed by the town's attorney Lauren Camire.