Ruroede v. Borough of Hasbrouck Heights

In this appeal, we consider the termination of a police officer’s employment in a non-civil service jurisdiction. The statutory framework governing the proceedings under review is set forth in N.J.S.A. 40A:14-147 to -151.

Plaintiff Kelly Ruroede, a police officer who was at the time on temporary sick leave, was suspended without pay and ultimately terminated from his employment based on numerous charges originally stemming from an off-duty verbal and physical altercation outside a restaurant and bar. Following a disciplinary hearing, a neutral hearing officer found that Ruroede’s employer, the…