Asbury Park settles police racism lawsuit for $1.185 million

💰 Asbury Park agreed to pay former officer Ahmed Lawson $1.185 million to settle his lawsuit. ⚖️ Lawson claimed he faced retaliation after reporting a captain's alleged racial slur. 🔎 The settlement comes after multiple racism lawsuits and a prosecutor-appointed police monitor. ASBURY PARK — This Monmouth County shore city has agreed to pay a former police officer $1.185 million to settle a lawsuit accusing the department of racial discrimination and retaliation. Get our free mobile app Ahmed Lawson had served as a police officer for 18 years when he filed a major lawsuit against his employer in June 2022. Lawson claimed he was denied a promotion after reporting that a police captain had used the "n-word." Lawson and the city reached the agreement on June 15, 2026, without admitting wrongdoing. Lawson retired from the force in 2024. TransparencyNJ's John Paff first reported on the $1.185 million payout. Asbury Park police faced multiple racism lawsuits The lawsuit was one of five separate cases filed within a decade that included accusations of racism against the Asbury Park Police Department. In 2023, the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office appointed an internal monitor for the department in response to repeated claims of systemic racism — including that some white officers were part of the "CRAB Club," which stands for "Crazy Racists Against Blacks." Police captain denied using racial slur In his lawsuit, Lawson said Asbury Park Police Captain·John Crescio used a racial slur over a radio transmission, and two other officers had heard it. 'Oh s***, they drug that 'n-word' out of there', the captain said, according to the lawsuit. Crescio has denied using the slur. During a deposition, Crescio said he was on the phone talking to another city employee about hunting bucks in Ohio. Crescio claimed that he accidentally turned on the police radio, transmitting the conversation, but that whoever accused him of using the word was an "outright liar." Crescio said he later filed an internal affairs complaint against Lawson and the two other officers who said they had heard the racial slur. Crescio accused the three officers of conspiring against him. Report a correction 👈 | 👉 Contact our newsroom These NJ towns have banned data centers As public concerns surge over electricity demand and stress on resources, a growing number of New Jersey communities scramble to ban data centers from being built within their borders. Gallery Credit: Erin Vogt