According to a police report, DiPetrillo asked Broomfield to stand up and said, “Knock, knock.” As Broomfield responded, DiPetrillo hit him in the face with an open hand, saying “something to the effect of ‘I’m a Nazi and I can ask the questions.'”

DiPetrillo told police that he and other employees talked about an episode of the TV series “The Office” that included “the KGB joke.” He told police he acted out the scene but claimed he “just put my hand on (Broomfield’s) chin”.

DiPetrillo has been on sick leave since the summer, and Broomfield has been unemployed and has not been placed in alternative employment despite requests for more than a year, according to the lawsuit, which seeks back pay and compensation for “mental anguish” .

The lawsuit was filed against the City of Warwick and the Warwick Water Division by and through Mayor Frank J. Picozzi in his official capacity. The complaint was filed on Thursday, 12 days before the Nov. 5 election in which Picozzi, an independent, faces a challenge from Democratic candidate Leah Hazelwood and independent candidate Patrick E. Maloney Jr.

On Monday, Hazelwood said DiPetrillo should have been fired. “I don’t understand why someone wasn’t fired when they were investigated,” she said. “(The “Nazi Joke”) is completely disgusting. I have family members who are Jewish. It’s such a disservice.”

Maloney said: “It should have been fixed instantly. It tells me that (Picozzi) doesn’t want to deal with real issues that are important to the people who work for the city or to the taxpayers because he continually opens the city up to these lawsuits.”

If elected, Maloney said he would institute “very specific policies” for such situations. “When you’re at work, you’re not at a bar,” he said. “There are things you don’t joke about.”

In a statement, Picozzi said: “Of course my opponents criticize me. After individual meetings with all Water Department employees, we restructured the department based on many of their suggestions. We brought back the former division chief to run the department.”

DiPetrillo, who earns $113,772 a year, remains on medical leave, the mayor’s spokesman said. His brother Michael DiPetrillo, who is accused in the lawsuit of trying to intimidate Boulais, earns $86,309 as a water infrastructure program manager.

Picozzi said Michael DePetrillo applied for a supervisor position and was not selected, but he was the only candidate for a water infrastructure program manager position, which he received.

In the lawsuit, Broomfield describes how Terry DiPetrillo entered his office on August 8, 2023, and asked two other employees — Boulais and Michael St. Pierre – to join them.

DiPetrillo said, “This is my Nazi joke. Knock, knock?” Broomfield began to answer, “Who’s there?” But before the words left his mouth, DiPetrillo slapped him across the face with an open palm, according to the lawsuit.

“The sound of the hand was heard,” the lawsuit states. DiPetrillo then made the “Nazi joke,” saying, “We’ll be the ones asking the questions.”

DiPetrillo then “burst into hysterical laughter as Mr. Boulais and Mr. St. Pierre looked at them with total shock.” Broomfield “was mortified, humiliated and offended as well as suffered and shocked by the physical assault,” according to the lawsuit.

The slap “was very harsh and left a large red mark” on Broomfield’s face, the lawsuit states, and constituted an assault in the workplace.

“This ‘joke’ was subjectively and objectively offensive,” and was “degrading” because he is of Jewish descent, the lawsuit states.

After getting off work that day, Broomfield met Boulais and St. in the parking lot. Pierre to talk about the situation. “St. Pierre commented on Mayor Picozzi saying, ‘At this point, I have to believe the mayor is turning a blind eye,'” referring to how Mr. Terry DiPetrillo was able to abuse (Broomfield) and Ms. Boulais despite all reports their previous superiors and HR,” according to the lawsuit.

Broomfield later met with the city’s human resources director Steven Rotondo and asked for a transfer, but Rotondo told him “We can’t just do that,” according to the lawsuit.

Broomfield told Rotondo that he would not be returning to work because he could no longer work with Terry DiPetrillo. “Importantly,” the suit states, “at this time (Broomfield) had no contact order with Mr. Terry DiPetrillo.”

Rotondo told him that if he did not return to work by August 15, 2023, he would be considered to be on “worker’s compensation” and would receive prorated weekly wages. Broomfield remains out of work “while awaiting word of alternate employment and/or transfer for approximately one year,” according to the lawsuit.

The incident occurred when Broomfield was “just a few short years away” from being vested in the 10-year pension, “meaning his termination effectively cost him hundreds of thousands of dollars in pension money,” the lawsuit states .

The lawsuit, filed by attorney Paige Munro-Delotto, said Broomfield continues to suffer loss of income and earning capacity, plus work-related benefits, as a result of the defendants’ “discriminatory actions.” The lawsuit seeks back pay with interest, front pay and compensation for other lost income and benefits, and seeks damages for “mental anguish, emotional pain and suffering” and “damage to his reputation.”

Edward Fitzpatrick can be reached at [email protected]. Follow L @FitzProv.