Fernando Ramirez, a Mexican national and permanent resident of Perth Amboy, has filed a lawsuit in Middlesex County Superior Court
PERTH AMBOY -- A Perth Amboy sanitation worker has filed a discrimination suit against the city alleging he was denied full-time employment multiple times over several years because he is Mexican.
Fernando Ramirez, 44, a permanent resident, was hired to a part-time job with city's department of public works in 2011. He applied for multiple full-time positions with the department and ultimately was hired in August to a $42,000-a-year job.
Ramirez, however, filed the lawsuit in Middlesex County Superior Court last month alleging that he was discriminated against by former director of public works Frank Dann and Sonia Neira, a personnel officer with the city.
File photo of Perth Amboy City Hall. Ramirez alleges in the lawsuit that Neira made derogatory remarks about Mexicans to him while filing paperwork for his part-time job, asking whether or not his green card was real.
In addition, the suit alleges each time Ramirez applied internally for a full-time general labor position, Neira would deny any position were available.
City officials said they could not comment on any pending litigation.
Ramirez interviewed for maintenance position in the department of public works in October 2014. During the interview, Dann told Ramirez he needed to fix his issues with Neira, the lawsuit said. The suit also alleges Dann had made derogatory comments about Mexicans.
Ramirez filed a complaint with the mayor's office in October 2014. In response, Neira called Ramirez and apologized, saying she "didn't mean to say anything bad," according to the suit.
In June, Ramirez sent notice to the city of the alleged violations against New Jersey Law Against Discrimination. The city denied the allegations and told Ramirez he had been not been hired for the positions because he did not have a commercial driver's license.
According to the complaint, Ramirez alleges 10 others were hired by the city without a commercial driver's license during the time Ramirez sought full-time employment in the city, all of whom were allegedly less qualified and of non-Mexican descent.
Perth Amboy Mayor Wilda Diaz, the state's only elected Latina mayor, has pushed for a community of inclusion, specifically speaking out against any potential immigration policies under President-elect Donald Trump.
Craig McCarthy may be reached at CMcCarthy@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @createcraig and on Facebook here. Find NJ.com on Facebook.