Lawsuit Battle Escalates: Paramus Denies “Rigged” Police Promotions and Demands Dismissal

Paramus Officials Fire Back at Officer’s Lawsuit Alleging “Rigged” Police Promotions

file photo by Boyd Loving

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Paramus NJ, The Borough of Paramus and its police leadership are strongly pushing back against allegations made by a longtime officer who claims favoritism and nepotism repeatedly blocked his career advancement. Officials have filed a formal response in court, denying all wrongdoing and requesting that the lawsuit be dismissed entirely.

The Allegations: Passed Over for Promotion

Officer Michael Boccher Sr., who has served on the Paramus Police Department since 2004, filed a lawsuit in Bergen County Superior Court naming the Borough of Paramus, the Paramus Police Department, and Police Chief Robert Guidetti.

Boccher claims he was passed over for promotion to sergeant across four consecutive evaluation cycles (2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026) despite maintaining high performance evaluations and strong seniority. His suit contends that:

• The department relied on subjective promotional criteria that favored relatives and friends of department leadership.

• The process violated the New Jersey Civil Rights Act, the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination, state law, and local municipal codes.

• An Internal Affairs investigation was opened against him in December 2025 after he “liked” a social media post regarding police accountability.

Paramus Law Enforcement Responds

In a 16-page legal response filed on August 19, defense attorneys for the borough and Chief Guidetti denied the core claims, arguing that their promotional decisions were neither arbitrary, capricious, nor unreasonable.

Key arguments from the borough’s defense include:

• Compliance with the Law: Municipal codes are not the sole criteria used to determine officer promotions, and officials acted within full legal authority at all times.

• Exhaustion of Remedies: Boccher allegedly failed to exhaust available administrative procedures before taking civil legal action.

• Lack of Protected Class Status: Defendants argue Boccher does not meet the standard of a protected class under the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination for age-related claims.

Next Steps in Bergen County Court

Boccher is seeking retroactive promotion to sergeant dating back to 2023, along with back pay, restored benefits, and monetary damages. Conversely, Paramus officials are asking the court to toss the lawsuit with prejudice and award the borough legal fees and court costs.