Dover pays $100K to settle workplace harassment lawsuit filed by former health employee

The Town of Dover has agreed to pay $100,000 to settle a workplace harassment, discrimination, and retaliation lawsuit filed by a former Health Department employee who previously reached a similar settlement with the City of Elizabeth, according to court records obtained by John Paff of Transparency NJ.

The September 2025 agreement resolves claims brought by Darling Bode-Zambrana, who alleged she was repeatedly sexually harassed after returning to work for Dover in 2022 and was fired less than two weeks after filing a written complaint.

According to the lawsuit, Bode-Zambrana first joined Dover’s Health Department in January 2022 as an Environmental Health Specialist and later returned in September of that year in a promoted role as principal registered environmental health specialist, earning about $70,000 annually.

She alleged that after a leadership change in October 2022, she was subjected to repeated inappropriate comments by Municipal Registrar Araceliz Orama Galloza, including remarks about her body and perceived sexual orientation. The complaint said Bode-Zambrana filed a written complaint on Oct. 23, 2022, requesting that the conduct be addressed and that “diversity and sensitivity training” be implemented.

The lawsuit claims no meaningful investigation followed and that she was terminated on Nov. 3, 2022, purportedly over “issues with the contract.”

Under the settlement, Dover agreed to pay $100,000 to resolve claims including alleged emotional distress, lost wages, and attorneys’ fees. The town also agreed to provide a neutral employment reference and both sides agreed not to make disparaging statements.

In a statement provided to the blog, town officials denied wrongdoing, calling the allegations “flatly false” and describing the payout as a “cost-benefit decision to avoid the expense and distraction of litigation.”

The Dover settlement follows an $82,500 settlement reached in 2022 with the City of Elizabeth involving the same plaintiff and similar allegations against a supervisor there. That lawsuit alleged inappropriate personal texts, comments about her appearance, and retaliation after she complained internally.

Together, the two public settlements total $182,500.