In 2018, Officer Michael Williams filed a lawsuit against Chief Phyllis Bindi, alleging retaliation for refusing to target specific employees for increased scrutiny of medical leave. Williams claimed Bindi berated him for documenting the situation in writing and demoted him from Medical Officer to patrol status while he was on medical leave. The case was settled in 2019 for $32,500, with Bindi named as a defendant. ([transparencynj.com](https://transparencynj.com/2023/02/10/east-orange-settles-five-police-lawsuits-for-1-6-million-readies-for-trial-on-two-others/?utm_source=openai))