Mayor was to meet with coalition of female lifeguards to discuss policy
By DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff
OCEAN CITY – Ocean City has retained a highly recommended labor attorney to conduct a confidential internal investigation of allegations against Ocean City Beach Patrol employees, the city announced Friday afternoon.
The mayor also met Sunday with female lifeguards to get their recommendations on policy.
Vanessa E. James of the firm Barker, Gelfand, James and Sarvas will interview members of the OCBP and individuals who posted anonymously to an Instagram page alleging a variety of sexual harassment offenses, according to Ocean City public information officer Doug Bergen. James will work in consultation with the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office to identify those willing to share information. She also will review OCBP and city policies, procedures and training and make recommendations for changes, if required.
An Instagram page called OCBP_predators has 170 posts and more than 9,000 followers after it was posted in recent weeks alleging improper behavior on the Ocean City Beach Patrol. Soon after it was launched, Mayor Jay Gillian announced the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office would be investigating and he announced the city would hire independent contractors to oversee operations and conduct an investigation. The announcement Friday is part of that promise.
In his message to the city posted on Ocean City’s website Friday, April 30, the mayor said he was meeting over the weekend “with a coalition of current and former female lifeguards who reached out with a set of positive recommendations for policy and structural changes.”
The Instagram page says it is for the “untold stories of pedophiles, predators, and inappropriate behavior on the beaches of America’s Greatest Family Resort.” Posts, that also include allegations about other southern New Jersey beach patrols, range from sexual harassment to more serious crimes.
James has extensive experience and training as an external workplace investigator and is a member of the Association of Workplace Investigators (AWI). Her areas of practice include workplace investigations, employment law, employment discrimination, sexual harassment, wrongful discharge, civil rights, police misconduct and professional liability. She comes recommended by the Joint Insurance Fund in which Ocean City participates, Bergen said.
A search for an independent contractor to oversee the day-to-day operations of the patrol for the 2021 season remains ongoing.
“Ocean City remains committed to providing all of the resources necessary to complete a thorough investigation and to ensuring a safe workplace for all employees,” Gillian said in Friday’s press release.